Retribution
by Irene Claire
Summary: Companion story to "Ka Lilo Keiki'. What happens when Frank Curtis returns to obtain something he believes stolen by little Rebecca Ramirez's mother? It may help to read the first story though I've to make this stand on its own. OC's Doctor Alponse 'Ponch' Ramirez, his wife Ellen and brother are featured. DWOCD affliction in full swing here.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **This goes hand in hand with my prior story 'Ka Lilo Keiki'. I've attempted to make it standalone, but it may be helpful to see the first installment for more background. Work = icky; therefore = new story for my sanity.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 1 **

"It's done!" Mike Ramirez announced as he finally yanked off the hot workman's gloves and backed up to survey their grand creation.

Danny was grinning from ear to ear as he took a big swallow from the bottle of beer he held in his hand. He was standing next to his friend who easily was as tall as his intimidating half-brother, Doctor Alphonse 'Ponch' Ramirez, though Mike lacked the breadth and sheer stature of the large doctor.

"That it is. I wonder what your brother is going to think of this." He added coyly because it took up a good portion of the corner Ponch had reluctantly allocated for the vile little furry creature his niece so loved.

"Ah, he makes a big fuss but he won't mind!" Mike smiled with a pleased laugh. Though they spent a lot of time at his brother and sister-in-law's rambling, private house, Mike and Rebecca really lived downtown in a condo which was no place for a beloved rabbit. So by default .. or perhaps, design ... Becca's loving Uncle Ponch and Aunt Ellen kept Finster in their backyard which only encouraged more family time for everyone.

But still, Danny couldn't help laughing at the over-the-top creation. "It's really big, Mike!"

Turning to both girls, the men bowed gracefully and then gestured grandly towards the rabbit hutch. "What do you both think?"

"It's the best!" Becca was cuddling her sizeable rabbit to her chest. In unison, she and Grace laughed and beamed happily at Finster's new home which might even rival Mrs. Hoppy's grand abode at the Edwards' McMansion.

"Thank you!" Becca was so excited, she practically dumped Finster in before she and Grace had even stuffed the den part with heaps of fresh straw and hay. Then Becca flung herself into Mike's arms and anchored her arms securely around his neck. It had been a full year since Steve and Danny had stumbled across the little girl who had been lost to the Ramirez family for three long years. Taken by her unstable mother and living under new identities, Becca had crisscrossed the mainland until her mother had fled with her to Hawaii after falling into hard times and a scheme with a dangerous Las Vegas mobster. Her mother had lost her life and alone, a frightened Becca had latched on to Steve one day after a failed pickpocket attempt.

Clues and secrets slowly revealed her true identity and Rebecca Anne Ramirez shed her old, frightening vagabond life as Kasey Pearce. Her father, Mike, had come to Hawaii to reclaim his daughter and then stayed with not only his half-brother's pestering, but also due to Danny's urgings. Something Steve in particular endlessly found amusing for the man who had once so adamantly denied the islands. But it was only natural that the two doting fathers had immediately struck up a strong loyalty coupled by their daughter's instant friendship.

"I love you, daddy." Becca whispered it in his ear as he hugged her back and walked to a private area where he covered her warm cheeks in kisses.

"Even if Fiona bunny turned out to be Finster rabbit?" He kiddingly joked with her about the accidental girl versus boy rabbit purchase. Everyone was still anxiously holding their breaths to see if Fiona-Finster had not quite so accidentally gotten Grace's little doe pregnant yet again. Though _accident_ was loosely defined if you were parent, child or afore-mentioned rabbit.

Rebecca laughed and giggled incessantly as he tickled her. "Yes!"

"Well then, I guess I love you too." He stressed back before giving her another hug and soaking in her bright eyes. Mike counted his blessings every day and was thrilled that Rebecca had so thrived in their new home. In fact, though Ponch often complained his younger brother still didn't quite eat enough or sleep enough, Mike was thriving too after making the decision to stay and lay down his own roots.

"I think I might love you too much, in fact." She laughed again and almost forgot about Finster, the hutch and their company as she rested her head on his shoulder. Sometimes she felt like she was five years old and not eleven as he held her so close in their perfect home.

"Tired?" Reading her absolute contentment wrong, Mike was surprised when she blurted out a quick and demonstrative _no_ before squirming down and returning to help Grace.

"We still have a lot to do to make Finster happy." She hollered over her shoulder. Mike chuffed out a confused snort as his daughter ran back to the rabbit to heap in its bedding. To Danny he quirked an eyebrow and raised his own beer for a congratulatory cheer.

"If that damned rabbit isn't happy, then he needs to be shipped off somewhere else."

Danny chuckled at the truth of it as the two left the girls to sit quietly in the shade and finish their well-deserved beer after the hot work. They had Mike's brother's house to themselves that weekend while they built the kingly rabbit hutch of all hutches. Finster had grown in leaps and bounds during the year and he'd sadly outgrown his first home. With promises of a simple barbecue and a cold brew, Mike had enlisted a willing Danny to help with the new, improved version much to the girls' combined delight.

"Where are you off to, Monkey?" Danny asked as Grace walked across the lanai towards the sliding glass doors.

"Dad!" The rolled eyes were a bit indignant at his having to know everything. "I need the ladies room." She hushed out the whisper dramatically as she disappeared into the cool interior of the house. He grinned and looked away to watch Becca by the new hutch as the slider's clicked shut.

Near the little girl, the dark shadow caught his attention first and he frowned at the oddity of it. Then, the next few minutes were a complete chaotic mess from the time the sliders clicked shut to Rebecca's terrified single scream that was cut off as a gloved hand covered her mouth and a strong arm lifted her into the air.

Three other dark-clad and hooded men seemingly came out of nowhere to point guns at both fathers. Beer bottle tossed to the ground, Danny was up and on his feet to take on the men. His hand automatically strayed to where his gun should be, but on a beautiful Saturday afternoon when he was supposed to be off and relaxing, he'd left his gear locked in the trunk of the car. Forced to stop by the weapon aimed threateningly at Rebecca's head, another was aimed directly at his own unprotected chest. The men were organized and finalizing a treacherous decision as they leveled their remaining weapons at Mike Ramirez.

"Mike! No ... stop!" Danny tried but he swore that his friend did exactly what the intruders not only expected, but wanted. Regardless of the poor odds, Mike tried to roar past as Danny missed the desperate grab at his arm to stop the inevitable as one loud puff sounded and he went down in a bloody mess.

Felled before he could take more than five furious steps towards his daughter, Mike clutched his abdomen and stared at the bright red blood oozing between his fingers. Above him, he heard Danny shouting his name but Becca had suddenly become deathly quiet.

"_Becca_." His mouth refused to work as well as his eyes for his dwindling strength. Mike was stunned by the overwhelming agony as the bullet went completely through him to settle in the solid wood of the Alpine chair he'd been sitting in. Groaning in pain and weakly trying to gain purchase in the grass, he was horrified when everything faded away in a darkening rush.

"Mike!" Between the two sides with hands out-stretched plaintively, Danny was torn between his fallen friend and the screaming child. Then there was his Grace in the house and Danny didn't know which way to turn as the men surrounded him. All were wearing exactly the same clothes and holding intimidating weapons with silencers to minimize attention.

"What do you want?" Danny demanded as he clenched his fists in frustration and sized up the coming confrontation. Simultaneously, his mind pleaded with Grace to stay inside and hidden.

"Who are you and what do you want? Put the girl down .. and let her go .. you can't possibly want a kid."

He was breathing hard from the stress as Mike moaned painfully at his feet. Rebecca was kicking her legs and squirming to get free, but the first man merely tightened his hold and she gasped in pain when the arm around her middle took her breath away.

"You're hurting her. I'm going to ask you one more time to put her down." Danny growled in warning as another gun was aimed directly at his head. He tightened his stance for the pending fight when he heard a subtle unimpressed chuckle but nothing else.

Frozen now, Rebecca was heaving in shocked little spurts of air as she stared numbly at her father's body. He had moved just once and now as blood spread into the grass, he stilled on a deeply pained exhale.

No one spoke and Danny never knew which black figure was the leader nor the signal given that pummeled him mercilessly into the Ramirez's grassy backyard as he charged forward in a ludicrous attack. It never dawned on him that he wasn't shot down in cold blood as Mike had been. He didn't realize at the time that they wanted him alive.

On the defensive, Danny managed to plant his fist securely into one cowled face once, and then twice. The hutch dangerously wobbled on it's legs and Finster bolted to a far corner to hide as the man lost his balance. Danny was delighted when the man he hit fell into the edge of the new rabbit hutch and hissed angrily when his upper arm connected with the sturdy wooden structure. The man's black shirt snagged, tore open and a long bloody scratch opened up as he sliced his skin on a sharp hinge. Danny's next immediate backwards motion connected his elbow directly into a muscular chest which jarred up into his shoulder, but he could tell he at least winded the second attacker by the sharply stunned wheezing sound.

For all he tried though, Danny soon collapsed near Mike as the three men converged on him in a synchronized attack. He fell bleeding and badly concussed as his wrists were tied securely behind his back and his pockets were emptied. In no more than twenty seconds, an unconscious Danny Williams and Becca Ramirez were gone. Mike Ramirez was bleeding out in his brother's backyard and Grace was trying not to scream in terror from her hiding place in the house.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **Wow everyone - thank you for the encouragement! I hope this lives up to expectations since it sort of got "regurgitated" for no apparent reason. ;-) I guess the story was meant to happen. But still, I hope it's good and you enjoy it. There is no set posting schedule this time; we're just going with the flow!

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 2**

It took Grace a few very long minutes to screw her courage together to crawl to the extension for the house telephone which was on the credenza in the hallway and dial 911 for help. Noises that she never heard before in the big house had her on edge and jumpy as tears slid down her cheeks. She simply couldn't make herself move or go any faster for what seemed like an eternity as she pounded in the three digits.

_"911. What is your emergency?"_

"Um." Grace coughed as her mind went blank because so much had happened and her throat tightened. She panicked when she forgot words and stumbled over the images in her mind that refused to come out of her mouth. "Um ... there were men with guns .. they were here ... and they took Danno. They took Becca, too but they shot Uncle Mike!"

_"Okay, calm down, sweetie. What is your address and we'll get the police to you? Can you tell me if the men are still there? Are you in a safe place?" _ Listening to the kind voice, Grace choked in fear because she knew some answers, but she didn't know the address to the Ramirez's house.

"The men …they took Danno .. and they're gone. But .. but I don't know the address." Stammering badly, Grace burst into a new spate of inconsolable tears as she dropped the phone from her stunned fingers. She forgot what she was doing as she berated herself for not knowing the answer to the most critical question. "I don't know it!" She wailed to herself as she left the telephone where it fell on the floor, the line open, and the 911 operator frantically calling for her to come back.

Staying low, Grace kept crawling on her hands and knees until as she worked her way into the kitchen where she had left her backpack. Fumbling for her cell phone, she yanked it from the middle pocket, found Steve's saved number and hit speed dial. Rubbing tears from her eyes, she sobbed uncontrollably as she waited for him to pick up. When he finaly did, she barely heard the wind and surf in the background as she bawled unintelligibly over his happy welcome.

_"Hiya Gracie! How's the project ..?_" It was as far as he got when he heard the choked terrified sobs. _"Grace?"_

"Uncle Steve .. help! Please ... help." His attitude changed instantly as he slammed the phone hard to his ear and began jogging back to this house from the shore line.

_"Are you at Uncle Ponch's house?" What happened, Grace. What's wrong? Where's Danno?" _Her garbled _yes_ had him moving, but her next words rocked him cold as an iron-sized fist settled in the pit of his stomach.

"He's gone. They shot Uncle Mike ... and I think he's dead. They took Danno and Becca .. they hurt them ... and then they took them!"

Grace scarily became quiet when she thought she heard a door slam outside the house. Steve heard the startled gasp and cringed when she didn't answer him right away. In fear that over took her common sense, nasal sobs waffled through the line but she stopped speaking entirely.

_"Grace? Grace .. what's wrong?"_ Steve was running flat out now through the lanai and directly into his house where he grabbed a shirt and the keys to his truck. Seconds later, with strobe lights and sirens on, he was practically yelling into the open line.

_"Grace! Talk to me! Who's there .. who's with you?"_ He heard her crying softly and then shuffling sounds as she tucked herself into a tiny and dark place to hide. Steve heard the muffled, echoey change in pitch but couldn't get her to answer him as the line unexpectedly went dead.

"No, no! Damn it!" Eyes darting from road to cell phone, he autodialed Chin and Kono and demanded that they gear up and meet him at the Ramirez's house. By then, reports were coming through his own police radio about the 911 call that was already sending other units and an ambulance to the traced residential address.

The ambulance and two HPD cruisers easily beat Steve to the Ramirez's spacious ranch house. He ran to the yard and dropped to his knees by Mike Ramirez and the two paramedics that were attempting to staunch the flow of blood from the gunshot wound.

"Mike. How is he?" Steve gasped out in shock as helped lift the badly injured man to a gurney. "This is Doctor Ramirez's house. Mike is his brother."

"Wow, we didn't know." The paramedics were stunned at the news as they secured their patient to be moved. The expression on one paramedic showed his rising concern as they began to carefully leave the property.

"He's critical. Lost a lot of blood … and we're losing some of his vital signs. We have to move." They were efficiently packing up and leaving almost faster at that point. "We have to go. Now."

"Where is she?" Steve demanded of the nearby officers as he pushed away from the gurney only to spin in place. Running both his hands through his hair in a temper, he quickly searched the yard. His lips were set in a firm, angry line when he recognized Danny's wallet, the keys to the Camaro, and his cell phone lying thrown in the grass. The wallet was on-end and he could just see Grace's picture peeking out from the small plastic holder. He automatically reached down to pick it up and then stopped himself. The personal possessions needed to be collected, bagged and then analyzed before he could touch … and eventually return them to his partner. Other than Mike, two overturned glass beer bottles that emptied into a frothy mess into the lawn, and the new rabbit hutch ... there was nothing else and no one to see. But it was scarily enough.

"Where is she? Grace Williams ... where is she?" He was yelling now and going after the HPD officers who had evidently cleared the property and the house.

"There's no one else here, sir. Do you mean Detective William's little girl?" One tried to explain to Steve that the interior of the house was empty; except for the injured man found outside, no one was there. Looking to his partner for help, the HPD officer was clearly confused because they had checked the house from front to back.

"We got word of a child calling 911 and the telephone line was still open in the hallway. But there's no one here.'

"You're wrong. Get out of my way!" Steve nearly snarled at the officer as he entered the house and paused in the living room. The house was spotless and untouched but he saw the house phone were Grace had made the first frantic call.

"Grace! It's Uncle Steve .. where are you? You can come out now. It's safe." He literally ran from bedroom to bedroom and then checked the closets. Coming up empty, Steve was beside himself that someone had in fact, taken her too.

"Grace!" His last overly loud bellow was fraught with anger and fear as it demanded an answer. "Grace, answer me right now!"

Steve finally thought he heard the renewed sniffles from the large kitchen and a faint noise that possibly sounded like _help_ or _here_. He saw her backpack then, and registered that it was open with its contents spilled messily on the floor.

"Quiet, quiet, quiet!" The noise he heard was too soft and he had to stop and listen hard with one hand up in the air to forestall the worried conversation from the HPD officers in his wake.

"Gracie." Steve dropped to his knees as he tried to aim his ear toward the sounds. He heard her then and slid over on his knees to the farthest small cabinet near the large double pantry doors.

Opening it carefully, Steve saw her messy hair first and then her tightly fisted hands which held a butter knife clenched in his direction. Her hands were shaking badly and her eyes were huge in her pale, sweaty face as she stared blankly at him. "I'm here, baby. Come to me, Grace. Come on."

She wavered at first, completely uncertain and too petrified to make a decision. "Let's go." Steve was sure that his smile was on the poor side, but it was the best he could do as he ignored the knife and held both hands out to beckon her. "Grace. It's okay."

With a bawled sob, she scooted towards him and flung her arms around his neck still clutching the silver butter knife. As he soothed her and got to his feet, the utensil clattered to the ground while he stalked past the HPD officer to the dining room table where he sat her on its edge. He never heard the stunned apologies from the two men who slowly trailed behind him.

"Are you hurt? Did they hurt you, Grace?" Desperate for learning more about the abductors, Steve was forced to wait while pushing her hair back from where it clung to her sweaty, blotchy face while heavy sobs shook her shoulders. A hand on his shoulder made him turn almost in annoyance, but one officer was merely handing him a wet, cool cloth.

Her head swung in a juddering _no_ as she hiccupped and coughed around a fresh flood of tears. He easily knew that he wasn't going to get much from her but he tried as he wiped her face gently.

"How many?" More stern than usual, Steve got directly into Grace's face to make her look at him. He wiped her cheeks from tears and then cooled her neck as he coaxed her through a few questions. "How many men were there, Grace? Can you tell me?"

Her mouth moved soundlessly and then four fingers wavered in his face. Steve gently smiled as his hand enveloped her much too cold one. Remaining stern, he balanced his softness with a very quiet tone as he tried to get anything of value from her.

"Four. Good job. Did you see their faces or what were they wearing?"

"No. I didn't know the address." She moaned out a few words that at first didn't make sense to him. Then seemed to escalate because once his question sank in and being Danny's daughter, she knew precisely what he was getting at and she had seen precious little.

"We're here now." Gently prompting her, Steve repeated his questions softly. "We're here, and I just need to know if you managed to see these men at all."

"Black all black clothes with masks. Guns but I didn't hear anything. The guns didn't make loud noises even though they shot Uncle Mike."

He nodded in understanding since that meant the men used silencers on their weapons. "It's okay. That's perfect information." It indicated a covert, planned attack and that unto itself, was actually helpful if Danny was targeted. But the reason for taking Rebecca Ramirez was a total mystery.

"Did you hear them talk or see what kind of car they drove?" Her eyes welled with tears as she shook her head _no_ once more. As soon as Becca screamed and Uncle Mike had been shot, Grace had dove for cover and tried to hide as far away as possible.

"I didn't see! Bathroom. I was in the house. I couldn't hear them .. but I don't think they talked. It was all too fast!" Her bubbled sobs caused him to sweep her off the table once more. She had done what she'd been taught and kept herself safe.

"I want Danno. Uncle Steve .. he's gone! They took Becca and shot Uncle Mike but I didn't see anything." He vainly tried to shush her as he held her against his chest. Chin and Kono had arrived and he looked over her head as they tried to understand what had happened and why. She was becoming near hysterical as she realized what she saw didn't help them at all.

"Chin, help them process the area as a crime scene. I want anything .. everything. Find me something; check with every neighbor if you have to." Upset and frightened, Grace was trembling badly as he strode past his team and signaled that Kono needed to drive them directly to the hospital. He followed her as she ran ahead to start the car. The entire time he whispered soothingly to Grace, he was also searching the driveway and streets for any additional clues. But other than the usual neighborhood gawkers, no one seemed suspicious.

"You're so brave, Grace. So very, very brave. You did all the right things and Danno would be so proud." Unable to help himself, Steve then said the worst thing possible. It earned him a seriously concerned look from Kono.

"We'll get him back .. I promise that we'll find him and we'll get him back." Steve warred with himself as Kono's non-verbal warning sank into his head. He knew better and had slipped at the worst possible time. With a judicious nod at acceptance of his error, Steve whispered some more orders to her.

"Kono, call Ponch right now. Let him know .. let him know what to expect." Steve's voice was already hoarse from stress as his mind raced through possible reasons behind the crazy scenario. Cradling Grace in his arms, he didn't know what was going to happen when the doctor saw his brother and then found out that his niece had also been abducted.

"After you do that, then get me Rachel .. track her down. She's state-side this week with Stan."

Without replying, Kono simply acted and made the call to Tripler first using Doctor Ramirez's personal line. Her words cut through pleasantries and put the man on high alert, but there was no way to relay the information nicely.

"The ambulance is on its way. I'm sure they are transmitting to the emergency room already so get down there, Doc. We're coming in too and will meet you there." Glancing to the passenger seat after ending the call, she didn't dare ask any questions as Steve continued to pacify Grace even though it seemed like a lost cause.

Grace was still whimpering and apologizing for not knowing the address to the Ramirez's house. Regardless of what Steve was saying, she continued to mumble and cry. Worriedly tapping the steering wheel, Kono focused on driving at that point because she didn't want to try and contact Rachel with the distraught child in the car.

When she caught Steve's eye, Kono mouthed "_who_" and "_why_" but he had no answers. None of them did. They had nothing and he could only hope that Chin and HPD turned up something in the next few minutes or even hours. Steve had full confidence that Chin would find the tiniest shred of _something_ if it existed. In the meantime, they made their way to Tripler Army Medical Center a few miles behind the ambulance that was delivering Mike Ramirez to the trauma center.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **sorry, this is a mean-spirited chapter but the bad guys are really bad. :-(

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 3**

The four men were pleased with the ease of their success and they silently congratulated each other as two sat watch in the back of the old modified Ford Econoline van. The only seats that remained in the vehicle were for driver and one passenger. Any back seats had long been torn out and disposed of. The floor was a ruined mess of old, stained carpet and hard rusted metal. The side panel and rear windows were darkly tinted and while Becca could almost see outside, it was a certainty that no one could see in. The air conditioning didn't work and the passenger had rolled his window down only halfway as they sped away just a hairs breadth above the speed limit.

Their masks and much of their black bulky clothing had also been removed and shoved into one large duffel bag in the back. Everyone was over-heated, but their moods were high. Their guns remained at the ready though should their captives try something or if the police inadvertently made their presence known. From their demeanor however, it was obvious the men were not all that concerned about either scenario actually coming to fruition.

The bound detective was unconscious and breathing harshly through the blood that welled in his mouth from a split lip and gouged cheek. Viciously pistol-whipped, the skin along his cheekbone was torn and a nasty head wound was bleeding freely. Rocking and jolting to the vehicle's movement, he moaned every so often as the driver hit a rut in the road or made too fast of a turn. Their route through the streets and on the highway was intentionally circuitous. Taking longer than needed, they had a number of planned confusing routes to take in order to get to their final destination.

The man in the passenger seat was the clear leader of the group and he looked over his shoulder before tapping the closest on the shoulder. His rude nod demanded a change and the one man roughly kicked Danny over with his boot so he lay on his side. As blood ran out of his mouth versus down the back of his throat, Danny's breathing altered to sound slightly better and he coughed spasmodically though didn't awaken. If he did show signs of rousing, the leader had a syringe in his pocket that would immediately put him out again.

When they glared at her, Becca shuddered in fear as she shrank back into the rear corner. Overly quiet, she was also swaying in time to the motion of the large van. The men were not impressed by the large watery brown eyes staring back at them in her stunned, pale face. They ignored her quiet murmurs for her father and the fact that she was feeling ice-cold despite the humidity in the van, scarcely breathing, and shaking so very badly from shock.

In her own little world, Becca was deafened by what had just occurred. They had removed their masks and she clearly saw their faces and their mouths moving. One man sitting near her had a cut on his cheek and a bad bruise on his chin. He was also angrily checking out a deep bloody streak on his arm while the other two seemed to make fun of him. Deep down, she assumed that she should hear or feel something when her shoulder banged hard up against the metal van wall; but she was numb to everything around her.

Time ticked by as Becca stared back at them while eventually trying to force her petrified mind to work_. "Call 911."_ Whispered somewhere in her consciousness and she shook her head in confusion.

_"Aunt Ellen. She should call Aunt Ellen … or, Uncle Ponch. She should try and run away."_ Wearily, her eyes dropped down from the face of the closest man who was leering at her. She looked at her tightly bound hands that rested and bounced limply in her lap to the jostling of the van. Her cell phone was in her back pocket but she couldn't reach it easily and even if she could, they would see her.

Sound slowly eked back into her brain and she began to take note of more things. The van was an older model and the she was huddled up against the dirty spare tire. Some rubbish littered the dirty floor and she stared blankly for a minute at the one large duffel bag that held their discarded clothing. They were all hot and down to more comfortable t-shirts as they sped away. Eying the ever-present guns though, Becca swallowed hard in fear.

_"Call for help. Do something."_ She coached herself over and over while the men relaxed. Slowly, as the driver went over ruts and holes in the road, Becca came up with a tiny idea when she felt her cell phone's small outline between her jeans pocket and the old spare tire. Her father had kiddingly told her that he could always track her down through the phone. But it hadn't been a joke and he had played with her once at the mall. Separating for a few minutes, he had joyously found her hiding by the ice cream shop waggling his own phone in her face with the glowing red dot.

She was the red dot and her eyes flicked nervously back up to the gunmen and then down to Danny. The parental watchdog application had made her laugh at that time. It was cool and fun, and because she had been alone so long before being reunited with him, she liked the idea since it kept them closer throughout their days. But now, she was positive that hadn't exactly been a funny game and Becca made a decision. It was only a matter of time before they found the cell phone on her. They would take it, break it and she would get into a great deal of trouble. So, if her father or Uncle Ponch could use it to find her, it would be safer to leave it in the van.

Her little pockets weren't that deep and the phone was peeking out the top. The men hadn't looked for it or seen it and Becca decided to use the motion of the moving vehicle to her advantage. On each heavy rocking thud, she rubbed her jeans pocket on the tire to shift the cell phone up higher and eventually it moved. It took a long time, but she got it to the lip of her pocket where it precariously balanced as if stuck in a small bit of fabric.

Biting her lip and with tears filling her eyes because she had to be brave, Becca waited until the driver swerved heavily to over-exaggerate her tumble on the hard van floor. She felt the empty space as a faint clatter near the tire made her involuntarily flinch, but none of the bad men seemed to hear it.

With a growl of anger, the man with the bruised face grabbed the neck of her t-shirt to set her firmly back in the corner up against the same tire. "What's your problem? Sit there!"

She had bruised her cheek and one elbow, but the man's unexpected violence brought on her fear to make her cry harder. She crouched back down before understanding that the tiny device was wedged under the tire and the van's wall. Too afraid to be happy about her success, Becca hugged her bound hands to her chest and closed her eyes.

The little girl was their true objective, followed by the Five-0 detective. Tossed to the floor of the van, the child sat next to the detective on the hard metal floor with tears running down her cheeks. She had been equally bound with hands in front and thoroughly frightened into silence. The men had done their jobs exactly as practiced and their boss would be pleased. Even shooting the child's father had been a clear part of the plan to demonstrate their intent and power before particular demands were made.

They drove for a long time and Becca almost dozed in the heat of the van until they left the smooth road for a rough, bumpy ride through a pitted field and then on to a long dirt trail that climbed higher and higher into the jungle.

Utterly lost and unable to stop trembling, Becca slowly cuddled up to Danny's back with a watchful eye on their captors. Every so often, she glanced to make sure her cell phone was still gently rocking up against the side wall. She was secretly happy when she could barely see it in the van as the afternoon wore on and dusk began to fall.

"Uncle Danny?" She tried to whisper but quickly closed her mouth when one man immediately turned her way.

"No talking." It was the same man who had pushed her back into the corner and she obeyed the command. Now half-conscious, Danny was rolling around aimlessly and unable to protect himself. Every terrible pitted hole made him moan and his face was slick with sweat and pain.

His mumbles grew louder and the leader got up from the passenger seat to squeeze into the space. Fearfully, Becca watched him pull the protective tip off the syringe with his teeth. Too quickly for her to move out of the way, he reached down and jabbed the needle into Danny's bare bicep. The strong sedative stopped the agitated movements and seconds later, he grew quiet again.

When they didn't try to stop her, Becca stayed where she had been and tried to use her own small body to stabilize him before laying her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes trying to comfort herself with at least his closeness, to only cry more.

It was just sunset when they arrived and only a few lights shown from the oddly beautiful home. Dozing heavily by then, Becca yelped in surprise when she was yanked violently from Danny's side and pulled towards the front door which opened to reveal only a large, imposing silhouette.

Looking over her shoulder, one man now had the duffel bag, but there was no light in the van and her cell phone remained hidden. Her scream distracted them all when the two biggest men unceremoniously hauled Danny out of the van and in an entirely different direction. He was still unconscious and never heard her shrieks as they dragged him away.

"No! Uncle Danny! No!" She screamed and screamed as one man bodily picked her up and once through the front door, Danny disappeared from her sight.

She was left rocking unsteadily on her feet as she was presented to the large silhouette who seemed most pleased to see her finally in his presence. When he stepped in front of the light, she nearly tripped over her own two feet she backed up so quickly. He laughed happily when her eyes widened in a fearful recognition. Step one was complete and he rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he bent down closer to her level.

"Hello, Kasey. I missed you, dear." The man's smile suddenly faded with a treacherous leer as he looked from her to the leader of the mission who so tightly gripped her small arm. She tried to run then in a panic but flinched and then mewled in fear when the strong fingers spasmed to leave painful bruises. Held firmly in place, knees weakening and beginning to hyperventilate, she had nowhere to go as he leaned even closer.

"Welcome home, Kasey. We have a lot to talk about." With his sarcastic welcome and one look at the fury in his face, Becca felt the walls close in around her and she fainted dead away to the floor.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 4**

Drenched purposefully by a large bucket of ice-cold water, Danny woke sputtering and he instantly began to shiver in what seemed to be a dank shed or small garage. He coughed and spat out blood tainted water while more dripped down his chest and shirt to soak his pants only to then puddle beneath him on the floor.

Shocked back into consciousness, he had technically rejoined the world but his mind remained murky and sluggish.

"Whu ..?" He coughed and then winced as pain shot through his head. His wooziness was odd and leaving him feeling disjointed for a vague awareness that he might have been drugged. But every panted breath seemed to shatter his sore left side and he groaned as more bruised parts of his body abruptly awakened.

Furiously blinking his eyes did little to clear the fog in his head or the haze across his vision. No, he'd absolutely been drugged at some point. Now night-time, he shivered once more as he tried to understand what was happening. He seemed to be sitting in a chair in the middle of small room with a hard-packed dirt floor. One dim, bare light bulb hung directly over his head from the dilapidated ceiling. The bulb was swinging back and forth in a cold nighttime breeze which only added to the shadowy distortions.

"What .. what's going on?" Freezing cold and in pain, Danny stared in confusion at the two men who were standing in the small doorway. With the dark moving shadows, their faces were difficult to see but one had obviously doused him with the water based on the metal bucket he still held in his hands. It took Danny just a few seconds longer to remember the attack and then Mike.

Ill temper replaced confusion as Danny's teeth chattered uncontrollably and he struggled briefly to test the much too tight bindings. But besides feeling weak, he was firmly fixed to a strong chair. He couldn't hide his painful groan as he tried to look around the small room which was obviously used for storage based on the old tools and hodge-podge of junk. His slightest movements were sending sparks of pain shooting through his head and he was soon sagging wearily in the chair with only the bonds holding him up.

"Nice digs." The silence was deafening and Danny closed his eyes to take in a careful lungful of air before breaking it with the sarcastic remark. He sniffed the stale air that carried a moldy scent and nodded with a false appreciation. His tone quite clearly indicated though that his two captors were the reason for the stench and their faces darkened in a mutual anger.

"Yup. Very, very nice."

Peering up, he could just see the bruises on one man's face and he huffed out a somewhat pleased sound. His eyes fell to the tight fingers the man held around a long rakish slice on his arm and Danny knowingly quirked his lips to a sardonic grin. "Slip somewhere?"

The one holding the bucket slapped his hand hard against his colleague's chest to prevent the furious response much to Danny's continued pleasure. The reaction also clearly indicated who out-ranked the other between them.

Studiously ignoring the man intentionally increased the growing rivalry and Danny cocked his head teasingly at the one calling the shots. "So?"

"Good evening, officer. Sleep well?" He taunted Danny in return before tossing the metal bucket to the side. It hit the wall with a loud tinny clang before rolling away into the darkness.

"Actually. No." Swallowing hard, he had to mutter around a swollen lip, sore chin and chattering teeth. The drugs had also left his throat dry and Danny grimaced when as a cough rattled his head. "So. Tell me. What can … I do .. for you?'

"Ah, so polite. But it's not for us. At least, not directly." The chuckle was ominously dark as a gun silently appeared in his line of sight. They worked for a sickly brilliant man and his plan was diabolically smart as they toyed first with the Detective and then the child. Between the two and their relations, they would eventually get what they wanted.

"Our esteemed boss, Mr. Curtis, would like payback and a little something that was stolen from him. We're here to oblige his request. I suggest you tell us where the key is as soon as you can bring it upon yourself to remember." It was time for the bruised man to bounce on his toes in anticipation and he smiled eagerly from Danny back to the barrel of the gun.

Danny scowled as he wracked his aching brain to place the vaguely familiar name. "Curtis? Who ...? What key?"

There was an aggravated sigh and a shuffling of clothing with a dull flash of metal. The click was fast but the shocking harsh snap of the gun firing in the small room made Danny gasp first. It was wholly unexpected. On the heels of the sound, he felt as if he'd been punched as his body rocked briefly of its own accord in the sturdy chair. The pain was much too slow to kick in but when it did, he slumped over wheezing for that new startling excuse. Without warning or pretense, he'd been methodically shot.

"What? What are you doing .. what do you want!" Scrabbling against the arms of the chair, his fingers nearly embedded themselves in the wood. Stunned by the sudden attack, he couldn't believe what had just occurred as blood oozed out from the deep wound in his left side. It wasn't immediately life threatening, but Danny momentarily lost his ability to think or even breathe as the new pain flooded his system.

"A key. A small silver key as if for a lock-box." Rolling his eyes at having to repeat himself, the man sighed as if exasperated. His next words were a slow drawl as he leaned forward with his hands on both knees and addressed Danny as if he were a child.

"And if you must know, I'm making a statement and providing you with motivation." He paused and waited to watch Danny gag through the rising tide of pain. He waited impatiently until Danny slowly looked up again to meet his cold eyes.

"You need to think hard now. The key! Think on it, Detective. I suggest you think on it because of what will happen if you conveniently decide that you can't remember." The man chuckled again menacingly and Danny's eyes almost adopted a real shade of fear as the next words were offered.

"Think on it or besides you, one of these little girls will pay the price." He grinned as he opened the door wider and held his finger up as if listening. Then Danny heard it faintly on the breeze. There was a child crying …no, truly almost screaming off in the distance.

"Ah, there she is now. At least one of them."

The bruised man had relaxed during the verbal altercation. He was suddenly happy and lighter on his feet. What he added to the conversation almost made Danny's heart stop; in fact, he was sure that he'd forgotten how to breathe when he heard the final word. "But it begs the question, doesn't it? Which one?"

The threat was left dangling on the cold breeze and Danny's stomach clenched in fear. Which _one_? He looked from one face to the other and couldn't read their expressions. It left him needing to ask and admit his uncertainty which he did between stammered words as so many terrifying thoughts raced through his head.

"Which one? What .. what does that mean? You kidnapped the girls? Why would you do that?" Emotionally charged, Danny's face was devastated as a series of bright lights unexpectedly lit the small space and he winced away as he was blinded by the flash of the camera.

"Photos for your partner. So he knows we aren't playing any games this time." Part of Curtis's game included keeping the detective in the dark about the girls and if they'd taken one .. or both. Their instructions were specific for Kasey Pearce; though, if Grace Williams had been easily accessible, they would have taken her too. As it was, she was no where in sight and only divine providence had kept her safe that afternoon.

The two men shared their own satisfied look as Danny's sudden reaction proved their skirmish an initial win. If he knew, he would talk for fear of the children's well-being. They would have even more intelligence in their arsenal as demands were made back to Five-0 and the FBI. And if he truly didn't know, the detective was indeed expendable at the end of the day.

"It means just that." The bruised man goaded once more with a very sly smile. Still fingering the cut on his arm, he watched as the detective began to worry the ties wrapped around his wrists. "Which one? Can you guess?"

Hardly listening, Danny was struggling in vain against the sturdy chair while the soft cries echoed on the breeze. It rocked in place but firmly remained whole to keep him seated and trapped. "They're just little girls! Who are you people? What the hell do you want!"

Stepping forward, the man whom Danny had managed to punch at the Ramirez's house, nonchalantly reached up to turn the light off. His promise was almost solemn as he plunged the room into darkness. "For the record, we'll see who slips the next time."

Danny's eyes were slow to adjust to the darkness from the imprint of the flashes from the camera. Breathing noisily in through his nose, Danny's head dropped forward on his chest when the door slammed and the lock sounded home on the outside of his man-made dungeon. He didn't care about anything at that point except for the faintly whispering sobs. "Who is that? Who do you have in there .. and why?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Detective? Maybe it's little Kasey Pearce or maybe your own little Grace. Or hell, we might have both kids right now locked up in that house. But does it really matter?" The ugly laugh was not exactly the last he heard as Danny was left to himself. Their presence lingered on the outside before another low promise was offered.

"I wouldn't worry too much; Mr. Curtis will fill you in .. soon. Very soon."

Left to whisper worriedly to himself, Danny felt a new panic beginning to rise. "No, no, no." Wracking his mind, Danny began to doubt what he remembered at the Ramirez's home. He had lost so much time lying unconscious or sedated and Grace could easily be here along with Rebecca. Both children could have been abducted and he had no way of getting to them; and Mike could be dead as the memory of his friend falling in a bloody heap came to him in living color.

And no, it didn't really matter which child it was; yet it did. "Grace." He sobbed her name under his breath as their footsteps left him. The child's cries continued to faintly reach him from the main house. He struggled again until a sharp pain stopped him and then, he felt it; the fascinating warmth as his shirt filled slowly with his own blood. It seemed to spread faster to counter the cold chilling wetness of his already water-soaked shirt.

"Shit. This can't .. be happening. Shit." Sobbing through chattering teeth, Danny shook his head in disbelief and to clear the rising cobwebs from his brain. Remnants of the sedative were still in his system and now he was losing a steady trickle of blood. He could feel the warmth spreading from his shirt and down to his pants. He needed to get his act together and find a way.

"Curtis. Kasey Pearce. No .. he can't be here. He's in jail." He muttered under his breath as he finally meshed together the pieces. Everything that the Ramirez family thought they had conquered had in truth, come back to challenge their family again. "Frank Curtis and Becca's mother. This can't happen."

Curtis was the dangerous mobster Frank Curtis from Las Vegas. He was the man who had relentlessly tracked down Rebecca and her mother for months on end before the child had been returned to her father and the Ramirez family. In the process, the powerful mobster had succeeded in killing Rebecca's mother and then had attempted to kidnap the little girl. At the time, he had been after a thumb drive full of client data for a large, profitable international gambling ring. There also had been a small stash of diamonds which Rebecca had so coveted for her mother's sake.

Frank Curtis had almost taken Grace in error because of their close physical resemblance. As consolation for that failure, he had abducted an older teenager to appease his high-stakes clients, but it also had stoked his temper. That teenager had nearly died at his hands as well.

In the end, Five-0 and the FBI had captured the man, brought down his ring, the child trafficking attempt, and he'd been jailed. A good judge and better jury had seen to that. The takedown had impacted his business, destroyed a few of his special clients and rendered him ruined. In fact, the criminal was still supposed to be in jail that very minute and Danny's brain back-fired as he tried to reason out what was happening.

All he could process was that Curtis was somehow out and looking for retribution as well as another precious object perceived stolen by Rebecca's damaged mother. A key .. to what, Danny had no clue. Trying to stay conscious and breathing steadily to uselessly control his much too rapid heartbeat, Danny didn't even know if Mike Ramirez was alive. Now there were the girls that seemed to be in the deadly mix: Grace, plus Rebecca. Curtis would terrorize them all for this key and be rabid about getting what he felt was divinely his to have and hold.

Unable to control his breathing, Danny's heart seized in fear as he struggled painfully against the bonds that held him in the chair. He didn't know who's small voice he was hearing and both girls very easily could have been taken while he did nothing and Mike Ramirez lay dying.

Haunted by the distant cries and sobs which eventually faded away, only one thing was very true - it didn't matter. Because, they had taken at least one of the little girls.

**_~ to be continued ~_**


	5. Chapter 5

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes:** warning that the next chapter or two may be delayed due to a business trip this week. Plus of course, some plot massaging. Nothing major .. thank you for the continued happy messages on this story! I am behind in personal thanks and having some issues with some of the FF site problems.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 5**

After receiving the terrifying call from Kono, Doctor Ramirez literally ran down to the emergency room from his office. Jogging past patients and hospital workers, he wove through a few crowded hallways and then took the stairs two at a time to the first floor. Arriving breathlessly, Ponch listened to and then participated in the worrisome transmissions between the E.R. and the traveling ambulance. Mike was coming in critically wounded after being discovered at the doctor's own home and though he was focused on the urgent medical aspect of his brother's condition, Ponch didn't have enough information about that piece of the puzzle.

"Where's Becca?" Usually hiding his large hands in the depths of his lab coat, this time Ponch didn't know where to put them as he paced the entrance to the emergency room where the ambulance would soon arrive. Kono hadn't mentioned his niece and it meant something; he could feel it in the depths of his being and he was petrified of the coming truth.

"Where is she .. where? Something's wrong." He was talking under his breath and constantly checking his watch while he paced. But word was spreading quickly that his brother was the seriously injured incoming patient and his wife, Ellen, was soon at his side. Also employed at Tripler, Ellen Ramirez was a skilled trauma nurse and that weekend, their schedules were overlapping.

"It's Mike?" She asked needlessly for the cold, sternly set jaw-line of her husband. She didn't need to ask if it was bad, because his entire body reeked of fear and she'd already heard the initial reports, herself.

"Alphonse. What's happened and where's Rebecca? I thought Danny and Grace were spending the day with them." He looked at her with dark, brooding eyes and felt her concern immediately. It was a mirror image to his own made worse by her natural maternal instincts. Ellen had become mother-figure and confidant to Becca and the two were nearly inseparable. That made his inability to respond and find words twice as difficult.

"It's Mike." Ponch confirmed softly. "It's Mikey and Kono called to say that she was also on her way in. But, I don't know … I'm not sure .. about Becca."

Unused to stammering over his tongue, he slammed his mouth shut. It was another uncharacteristic move as he wrung his hands and resumed his nervous pacing. His mind chased a variety of additional answers for his wife's benefit, but each would be a terrible lie and he had an abysmal feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. All Ponch could find to add was a brief truth and it left him feeling even colder. "I don't know, Ellen."

Something was horrifically wrong and he shook his head as the latest transmission reported crashing vitals and heavy blood loss. Two minutes out from arrival, his face was hard and unyielding to take a more firm command of the situation. Ellen paled as his demeanor suddenly changed to focus solely on his incoming patient.

Turning to a nearby nurse, he pointed an imposing finger in her direction. "Get an operating room ready immediately. I need a vascular surgeon and I want Doctor Harris - get him here."

Growling out orders before the ambulance arrived, Ponch mobilized his critical care team and the next steps to emergency surgery for his brother. Each of his demands were met with quiet, unquestioning resolve. "Mikey's O positive; get me four units stat and a crash cart ready."

No one questioned his potential conflict of interest, but Ellen saw the subtle shake to his hands and covertly left the emergency room to make her own calls. Her stress level mounted as she thought about her niece and the too little information from the officers and their friends. She was internally becoming frantic, but until she knew more, Ellen pushed it down to place a call to an on-call doctor who readily agreed to help Doctor Ramirez.

Scarcely five minutes after the ambulance arrived with the critically injured man, Doctor Josiah Brandt, another of the dedicated emergency room doctors was on site to assist her husband. Her fast thinking was a good thing too for Ponch's first stunned and very emotional reaction at seeing the condition of Mike's ruined body.

"Mike. _Mikey_." He stood stock still with his gloved hands held high as the gurney came rushing in through the door. Eyes wide, Ramirez stood unmoving over his brother's barely breathing body as he whispered his special nickname. The bullet had torn completely through Mike's abdomen to exit out his lower back. His shirt had been cut off, his chest was smeared with blood and Ponch was almost afraid to remove the expansive pressure bandage because he knew what he would find. Ashen and virtually lifeless, Ponch barely recognized his vibrant younger brother as a nurse used an ambu-bag to manually push oxygen into his lungs.

"Bleeder." Watching the seeping fresh blood stain the pressure bandage, Ponch finally got to work focusing on the gunshot wound and its entry point. "It's a bad one .. we .. I .. need clamps here." Tools were presented to his seeking hands. His fingers were slick with blood within seconds, but one look at the failing respiration had him jumping at Doctor Brandt upon his arrival. Just through the doors of the E.R., Ponch neatly accepted his presence without question and was blurting orders to his peer.

"Josiah, intubate. He's crashing." Seconding his commands and picking up any necessary slack, Brandt dug in to offer a soothing antithesis to Doctor Ramirez's expert but volatile temperament.

"Hang in there, Mikey." Ponch demanded as his brother's blood pressure plummeted and his heart stuttered. "Don't you dare check out on me." His worry caused his fury to rise as Ellen took over from a frazzled nurse who couldn't locate a cooperative vein in her brother-in-law's arms. Her inability was perceived as incompetence and Ponch was virtually down her throat for her failure.

"Here. Let me." With years more experience handling trauma cases as well as her husband, Ellen stowed her emotions as she expertly lay a central venous catheter into the large vein in Mike's neck after Brandt inserted the breathing tube. Moments later, Doctor Harris was striding into the hectically crowded room and the team was moving Mike Ramirez to surgery.

Instead of following the men, Ellen remained behind hoping to see Danny, Becca and Grace. Her worries grew exponentially when Steve and Kono entered the E.R. doors with only Grace. By the look on Steve's face alone, Ellen didn't need to be told that something was indeed very wrong. Kono was equally stressed and Ellen literally forced herself to walk forward to meet them halfway.

"Steve?" Feeling faint at his severe look, Ellen had to put her hand on the wall for support. "Where are Danny and Rebecca? "

Thinking that at least they might be arriving in another ambulance if god forbid they were injured, Ellen gasped at Kono's careful reply. There was no way to couch the terrible news though and Ellen felt suddenly sick to her stomach.

"Four men attacked Danny and Mike. Chin and HPD are at your home right now evaluating it as a crime scene." Carding her fingers gently through Grace's long hair as Steve rocked the quietly weeping child; Kono had no choice but to add the truth.

"The men shot Mike and abducted both Danny and Becca. We don't know why .. or by who .. yet. Grace was hiding in the house and she managed to call 911 and then Steve for help." Ellen covered her mouth with her free hand and leaned even more heavily against the wall. For a minute she forgot everything as the news sank into her brain and she gasped in disbelief.

"But .. why?" Kono was sympathetic as she left Grace to pull the nurse into a hug. "Why would anyone do this?"

"We don't know yet. But we're looking …. everyone is looking. How's Mike doing?"

"Surgery. It's bad." Ellen whispered distractedly. Her mind was barely coping with how Mike came into the emergency room and now after what she'd just been told, Ellen was numb. Her voice was monotone as she spoke more out of a trained auto-response. "Ponch is with him, as well as the best vascular surgeon on staff. But he's critical .. it's bad."

Kono rubbed Ellen's back soothingly. She and Steve were already anxious to get back to the scene, but they would never leave Grace especially in the state that she was in. Kono was about to ask the nurse for help when Steve interrupted her very thoughts.

"Ellen, we need someone to take a look at Grace." Steve was too soft and measured; it was a dangerous tone and Kono worriedly watched him walk towards an empty bed. He was unsuccessful at unwrapping Grace's arms from around his neck, so he settled for sitting on the gurney himself. Tightly burrowed into his lap, Grace mumbled for her Danno. It was upsetting and difficult, and Steve clearly didn't know what to do.

"Ellen, please. Can you help us or get someone who can?" He was gentle and ready to accept her need for space with compromise, but Ellen suddenly turned to gather supplies and blankets.

"No, no I can help. Grace should be with someone she knows." With a great deal of prodding, Ellen softly managed to get Grace physically separated from Steve. As Grace curled up on her side, Steve kept his hand on her head and another on her shoulder as she gradually calmed.

"Uncle Steve?" Stroking her hair repetitively, Steve gave her a small kiss on the side of her head at her mumbled whisper.

"We're all still here, Gracie." He furrowed his brow in confusion when she shook her head. Tears clumped her lashes and her eyes were closed. She was obviously exhausted from the mental stress, but she had something to say. Tucking a warm blanket around her shoulders after Ellen received permission to inject a light sedative, Steve leaned forward. "What do you need, sweetheart?"

"You need to go." Her fingers wrapped around his hand before she spoke and he was honestly surprised. "Go find Danno. Please."

Rendered speechless, Steve was stunned when she forced her eyes open and tried to smile. He was saved from having to answer when Ellen placed a hand on top of their two.

"I'll stay with her. Go find them, Steve." Ellen whispered with tears now running down her cheeks. "I'll stay."

She needed something to do and Grace needed a friendly face. Compounded by Grace's request, Ellen freed Steve and Kono to get back to their jobs. Laying another kiss on Grace's warm cheek, Steve cupped the side of Ellen's head in thanks and was already moving hurriedly out of the hospital. In his tracks, Kono was quickly giving Ellen more information and promising to call with updates.

"Rachel will be back sometime tomorrow morning. It's the best she can do with the flights." Kono explained. "Don't leave the hospital and if you hear from anyone … you need to tell us immediately."

Taking Steve's place next to Grace, Ellen nodded in understanding. "Yes, I know .. and I will."

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Steve and Kono were back at the scene just a little more than an hour after leaving with Grace. Running his hand over the smooth hood of the Camaro, Steve was on high alert as he stalked back to the yard to get an update from Chin and the officers on scene.

"What do we have .. and it better be good." Within that time, Chin had found the torn black piece of cloth on the rabbit hutch and taken blood samples for analysis from the sharp hinge. The officers who had arrived first, had bagged Danny's wallet, car keys and cell phone from when his pockets had been emptied. Those items were already ready for transit with the crime scene unit who would analyze everything for prints and DNA.

"Four officers are canvassing the neighbors for information; we have nothing there yet. Now, CSU just found one shell; the one that hit Mike." Pointing to the patio area, Chin drew their attention to a CSU team member who was on his hands and knees by the Alpine chair. He was busily but carefully digging the shell out from one of the solid planks. That too would be bagged and taken in for analyses.

"That's it?" Hands on hips, Steve was in a dark mood. He wanted more and he wanted it now; but Chin was fairly adamant that they had used their time well in the yard. He absorbed the temper stoically as he went over each and every fact that they could possibly make a move on.

"Unfortunately, until we get these results back or they call with demands, we wait." Chin had of course rushed everything to the highest priority but it all still suffered for want of time. Steve almost grumbled when his phone rang in his pocket, but one look at the caller ID had him holding up a hand. His eyes changed from annoyance to an honest worry quickly and he could only nod when Kono mouthed '_Grace_?'

"Ellen. Did you hear from the kidnappers?" For a moment, Steve shrugged helplessly because he wasn't sure what he was hearing on the other end. "Ellen? What's wrong .. is it Grace .. or Mike?"

The three stood in a silent circle with two staring expectantly at Steve while his face altered yet again to one of shock and then almost, delight. Motioning to Chin and Kono, Steve was multi-tasking and memorizing what he was being told though Ellen was going to text him all the information.

"Office. Now." He muttered to his team as he jogged to the front of the house and to his truck. As he listened to the excited nurse, he put his hand over the microphone to quickly explain what was happening. Chin's smile was immediate, followed by Kono's anxious need for the data. "We need a trace on Becca's cell phone and an organized plan of action."

_"I have it here and it's working." _Eyes glistening from tears, and nearly vibrating in place from a mix of horror and pure excitement, Ellen Ramirez was calling Steve from just outside the emergency room. She was holding Mike's belongings in a plastic bag. On top nested in his torn shirt had been his smart phone and at first, Elllen had merely looked at it sadly until she realized something. Her brain churned as she pulled the device out of the bag and stared at it, mutely.

He never locked it with the excuse that he couldn't be bothered. Thumbing through the applications, she found the one he had told them about. The one he had installed after the heated argument with Ponch about the actual need for a young child to have her very own smart phone at all. But if one person in Hawaii was more diligent, anal and near stifling than Danny Williams, it was Michael Ramirez. Having lost his daughter for three agonizing years, he was taking no chances ever again.

_"It's not about her age, Ponchie." _Face set in stone, Mike had already given Becca her personal cell phone that very day. _"It's for her safety. It's for me - and for my sanity."_

That had been two weeks ago and Becca had been off in the yard making her very first excited call to Grace. Hours of texting were soon to follow and Ponch had remained old-fashionedly adamant about the ridiculousness of the device for a child. The brothers argued for hours about it at the drop of the hat; the last terse words just the prior day when Becca left the dinner table with an excuse about needing the bathroom. In actuality, she was once again busily texting to someone from school instead.

Now, Ellen was staring at the glowing red dot. Her most obvious first call had to be to Steve as a hysterical giggle accidentally surged out of her throat. He heard the odd sound and it confused him, but she couldn't help it. She was thrilled that Mike had fought his brother about spoiling his little girl so very much; ecstatic because now they had something.

_"It works. It's on and .. you can find them."_

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 6**

While his other two employees were with Danny, Frank Curtis followed the man who carried the limp child into the small spare bedroom at the rear of the house. The one window was bolted shut but it didn't matter as he watched one small wrist get securely cuffed to the ornate bed frame. She wouldn't be going anywhere unless he arranged it. He was annoyed though when he saw the scrape on her cheek from her intentional tumble in the van.

"She's supposed to be unmarked. Especially her face." His accusing glare was returned with a steady gaze. "What happened?"

"She lost her balance and fell in the van. It couldn't be helped." Highly annoyed, Curtis shook his head and frowned. The buyer he had lined up would complain about the scratches, the resulting small bruise and would likely argue about price, but there was nothing to be done about it.

Growling under his breath, Curtis insisted on making sure his men followed his orders. Standing next to the bed, he more closely studied her mussed hair, blotchy face and rumpled clothes. Her elbow also sported a new purpling bruise and he made another dissatisfied sound in the back of his throat. Not entirely trusting what he was being told, he couldn't help asking again.

"Are you sure that she fell?"

"In the van. She lost her balance on a rough road." The mission leader was long used to Curtis's tendencies and he wasn't offended as he reconfirmed the fact. Before he stepped to the side, he lifted Becca's chin to manipulate her head a bit to see the scrape better in the light. "It's not too bad. Kids will be kids after all."

Rousing a bit from her daze, Becca breathed in and screamed when she saw the mean face looming so close over her head. Her fear only worsened when she felt the steel cuff on her wrist.

"Kasey. Kasey. Kasey. Whatever am I to do with you?" Curtis rolled his eyes when she woke to a screaming fit. Terrified, Becca shrank from Frank Curtis on her knees but turning and twisting, she could only get so far across the mattress with her bound hand.

"Enough!" She was marring the skin on her small wrist now and his loud angry shout brought her to a stunned stand-still. Repeating himself, his eyes were full of warning as she faced him on the bed. His tone continued to be angry, but he significantly lowered his voice to a slightly more reasonable level.

"Enough, I said. We're going to make a deal." Across from the bed, a row of new plush teddy bears lined the high dresser. A pretty blue dress hung from the empty closet's door knob and there was a pile of books neatly stacked next to a beautiful new doll. The bed she was on had a pretty pink, lacy duvet cover and soft pillows, but she wanted no part of any of the pretend gifts.

"Let's cut to the chase, dear. You give me what I want and just maybe, I give you something in return." She was already shaking her head as he pointed to each nice, new toy and the the blue dress." "It is a very pretty dress; and wouldn't you like to play with those nice new toys?"

"Home." Shaking her head in confusion, her voice was nearly gone as she breathed heavily and vainly tried to rid her wrist of the tight cuff. "I want to go home."

"You are going to have a new home now, dear." Almost too sweetly, Curtis patiently next purred out his demand. "I want my key, Kasey. Where did your mother hide my little silver key? Do you have it or did she hide it somewhere special? I want the key your mother stole from me for the safe deposit box at the bank in Vegas."

His voice broached no sympathy for her bewildered expression and he only seemed momentarily amused by her quick head shake. Her bottom lip trembled and she adamantly shook her head about ever seeing or being aware of a special key. "I don't know about it."

"Oh, I think you do know. Your father's life for the key. Your precious Uncle Danny's life for the key. No key and little Kasey gets to be an orphan with maybe no home at all."

"But." Her watery brown eyes widened at the threatening promises and she bucked hard to get free from the bed frame, but she only managed to make her wrist bleed. Eyeing the tender, torn skin Frank's face darkened but for his own reasons. His client wasn't going to be entirely happy but the child was obstinate.

"You're doing that to yourself, Kasey." The cuff rattled on the metal bed post it was cuffed to and she only pulled harder. His words were mean and disavowed his own responsibility. Wincing in pain, she began to cry when Frank Curtis took out his smart phone and took a very quick series of pictures of her on the pretty bed.

"No, I don't know." Completely confused, more tears spilled down her cheeks. "I want to go home!"

Making sure he liked his photographs, Curtis seemed to save them and smiled before looking up at her. "So then. You have an hour to remember where the key is, Kasey. Just one hour and after that, we decide what to do next."

"Becca." She murmured in a broken voice that fell between whispers and more frightened sobs. Tightening her face in another moment of sheer bravery, she raised her voice to his barely disguised amazement. There was suddenly a tiny spark of anger in her own eyes as they met his own.

"My name is Rebecca Anne. Rebecca." Her defiance might have been shortly staged, but Frank suddenly stopped his cross-examination by walking away.

Her soft sniffles were cut off as the room was plunged into darkness and the door slammed to be locked from the outside. The sniffles continued before they dwindled to a startling silence and he pulled an impressed face.

"She's spunky." Curtis mused, still very displeased over the marks on her face, elbow and now her wrist. "It can't be helped, I guess. And really, kids hate the dark so that alone should do something for me. One hour. Let her stew for an hour. Maybe we offer her some food too, and then I'm sure her memory will kick in. In the meantime, stay in the house while I go visit with our other guest. I haven't had a chance to welcome him personally."

Beckoning to one additional person who was sitting alone in the kitchen, Frank welcomed the other two gunmen as they returned from the small shed. "Does he know?

"Nope, he doesn't seem to know which kid we've got .. or, even if we have both. Worked out just as you wanted, boss." Curtis lifted an amused eyebrow and grinned. He knew the detective had a strong softness for children in general, but for his own daughter the stakes would be incomprehensible. The mobster remained amused as he heard the last of the tale.

"He's also denying knowledge of the key. Even with the extra bit of motivational push that you wanted us to provide - he's denying everything."

"I can't say that I'm too worried as yet." Warmly thumping his associate on the back, Frank only shrugged because he had faith one of his angles would come through for him. He turned around before leaving the house to make sure the man from the kitchen had joined him. The man was middle aged and portly, wearing glasses and very neatly dressed, he was carrying a small black leather bag which Curtis wholeheartedly approved of.

Almost skipping down the short few steps, Frank was still smiling happily. "Very good. Shall we?"

**__***** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Danny wasn't alone for very long. He blinked blearily as the door opened, the dim light bulb was pulled on by its long thin piece of rope, and Frank Curtis entered his tiny cell. A man holding what appeared to be a medical bag was in his shadow, as well as the same two gun wielding abductors. His only relief was that the little girl's cries had finally stopped; though Danny wasn't sure if that was entirely a good sign.

"I want to see the little girl. Rebecca. I know it's her. Why did you take her?" Quite uncertain about which child or if both had been taken, Danny made an educated demand through tightly clenched teeth. He watched Curtis closely for any type of reaction but the man merely smiled happily as he looked from his men to over to where Danny was sitting.

"What are you doing to her? She's scared and if you hurt her, so help me you will regret it."

"You're in no position to make any demands or threats, Detective. None whatsoever." Glancing to his small contingent, Frank grinned at the trapped man as he refused to provide any other information. His smile deepened as he watched the Five-0 detective change mental course to try something different. Frank had everything well in hand though as his plan to divide and conquer came to fruition. And as he knew, the detective was beside himself with worry for the children.

He had worked out three particular methods to obtain his objective; one of them would work. First, Kasey Pearce would be the likely owner of the precious key. He would force her to remember when and where her mother had given it to her. He would force her to disclose where it was now hidden through threats to her beloved family. Her rich Uncle and her father, if he lived, would in turn be threatened with her life as they also assisted in the quest. In the end, he would earn a pretty penny on the open market for the young girl which he intended to sell to an already interested buyer overseas.

Secondly, if the child or her family proved an honest dead-end, he had the Five-0 Detective. In conjunction with his own team, Williams' association with the FBI field office that had tracked him so relentlessly would provide yet another method to his scheme in obtaining his priceless key. One of their evidence lockers could easily hold the object. Adding the detective's life into the treacherous mix, he knew that Five-0 and the agency would do their best to deliver what he so demanded.

Thirdly and least likely to deliver was the Detective, himself. Regardless, using the children as a carrot, Curtis enjoyed toying with the man to see if he did know something of value. Any knowledge would assist him with the demands he would make of the FBI and Five-0. The Detective was most expendable in the end, however. Though now, he needed him alive until he had what he wanted in hand and it gave him a bit of fun to watch the man's cool demeanor turn to one of desperation.

"Rebecca, huh? I thought your daughter's name was Grace? Did I get that wrong?" His amusement lifted as the detective paled considerably. Curtis chuffed a happy sound as he rummaged through his pocket. His fingers connected with what he wanted, but before pulling it out of his pocket, Curits turned directly and specifically to the man Danny had leveled in the yard with an accusing tone.

"You said her name was Grace." The bruised man sniffed, rubbed again at his cut arm, and then shrugged not so apologetically. He knew the game they were playing and the reward was immediate.

"It is, boss. The other one insists she's Rebecca or .. something like that."

"You don't .. you can't." They watched his breathing change first. A rapid, near spasmodic sound coupled with a wheeze followed by a cough. The all-out panic attack came last as their captive reeled in his bindings and the chair nearly capsized from the duress being inflicted upon it. The chair actually creaked and there was a soft snap under the seat itself. The cold sweat that had beaded on Danny's forehead was now drenching his shirt as his panic finally come to an end. Torn and tragically distraught, he'd worsened the bleeding from the gunshot wound and was nearly incoherent.

"I need to see her." It was an almost inaudible plea and Danny wearily closed his eyes as Frank Curtis stood there. "You have to let me see her."

In the shed, the only sound was that of his still highly distressed breathing. But outside, the wind had picked up and the lone lightbulb was swinging in a frenetic arc. Light and dark danced behind Danny's closed eyes as the bulb swung freely; it had gotten so quiet, he finally had to look up. Frank was still staring at him and he shook his head when their eyes met.

"No. No, I don't think so. But hold that thought for me." Frank was coy as he finally pulled his smart phone out for yet another series of photographs. He grinned as the Detective squirmed in pain and unconcealed worry for the children. He could almost guess the trivial demands, desperate questions and the coming fearful responses.

"What's this about a key?" Shivering even more from pain and now shock, Danny rasped out his question. Rather than answering, Curtis pushed the man with the black bag towards where Danny sat in the chair. Kneeling down, the man calmly opened the black bag to reveal a multitude of first aid medical supplies. On top was a pair of gloves which he shoved his fingers into before pulling out surgical scissors. Though he was immobile, Danny tried to avoid the man's seeking hands. But he was fast as he cut off a section of the already torn shirt to examine and then roughly clean the bullet wound as Danny hissed and cursed in pain.

"Son of a bitch. Someone needs to teach you a damn bedside manner." Writhing, Danny gagged around the pointed sharp pressure as the man dispassionately used a caustic antiseptic and then packed the hole with gauze. It was bleeding fairly heavily from Danny's violent effort to break free, and the man _tsked_ in disgust as he changed what he'd done for more, clean gauze.

Danny's vision sparkled with shiny flickering dots as the man investigated the through and through wound by pressing mercilessly into his side. His chest and ribs received the same rough treatment until the man was satisfied. Then, he completely ignored Danny's obvious agony as he finished by placing a pressure bandage against the entrance and exit holes.

"It's through." Ignoring Danny's muttered comment of _'brilliant'_, he confirmed his assessment coldly to Curtis as he got to his feet. Stripping off the blood-stained gloves, he simply tossed them near the chair without looking back. "Nothing vitals' been hit, though it hurts pretty bad as you can see. At least one rib is fractured too."

Curtis snorted at that last questioning comments. "What about the head wound? I don't doubt he's got a bad concussion." The man gestured to Danny's blood-stained hair, face and shirt. Up close, the detective's pupils were uneven and he was continuing to blink rapidly as if trying to focus.

The mobster leaned forward for a better look and shrugged. "It's not bleeding and this isn't a free clinic. Leave it. I just can't afford having him bleed out on us."

"You're going to die for this." He knew that Curtis relished his raw, emotional reaction and he tried to keep it at bay, but he was failing. Panting hard and trying to clear blurry vision, Danny's fingers were clenched so tightly into his palms, bruising marks were left in his dented skin. "There is no way you are going to get away. You're too well-known ... you can't exactly travel freely."

While he knew the time would come soon, it was obvious that Curtis didn't want him exactly dead, yet either. He also knew that his team would be well-immersed in trying to find them; someone had to at least miss Mike since it was well after dark. But his threats again fell flat when Curtis had another unexpected answer to his last promise. "I guarantee that my team is looking for you as we speak. You won't be leaving this island."

"You're mistaken on both counts, Detective. I'm already dead." The bland news took a long while to sink into Danny's brain. Curtis was all out laughing loudly now as he waited for him to realize what he'd just shared.

"Oh you didn't get the obituary? Not even a notice of the funeral? Frankly, now I'm insulted since I died about one month ago in jail. Actually, on the operating room table after I'd been shanked so very, very badly by a fellow in-mate. It took them hours to find me and then .. well .. I was barely recognizable and unable to be saved." Taking two determined steps into the shed to stand over Danny, he raised his voice to make things perfectly clear.

"No one is looking for me in particular, Detective. No one at all. And they won't be."

Curtis moved slightly to the side so the man could edge out of the way with the medical supplies. Clasping his hands warmly in front of him, he bent forward at the waist to explain each agonizing next step to Danny. He was pleased to see that the detective's eyes were shining not only from pain, but also from a rising feverish fear. "Here's what's going to happen. Between you and your exceptionally talented partner, you will deliver to me what I request."

Leering at Danny, he bounced on his toes while paging through the new images of Danny that he now had on his phone. "Your partner will be receiving proof of life and a demand that a particular key be returned to my ownership. He will have until midnight to respond or you and the children move to the next stage. That affords him just shy of four hours - which is generous, ample time - to confirm it in hand. Per my instructions, it will then be delivered it to a predefined address by courier. If he fails, you die first. After that, the fate of these precious children is quite suspect."

Danny sat there in a stunned silence. He knew exactly the fate that Curtis referred to and he became almost frantic in denial of his helplessness. Wracking his brain, he came up empty on the assets related to the old case. There was no key in what Five-0 recovered, nor any such object he could recall in the FBI's possession or something that even needed a key to be opened.

There had only been a small stash of diamonds and a flash-drive where Curtis's underground gambling clients' names and cash losses and earnings were retained. While it was true that little Kasey had been forced to take possession of the diamonds, she had not known about the thumb drive. Her mother had kept that responsibility for herself alone. Regardless of a key or what it might be used to gain access to, Danny was certain that Becca knew nothing and that such an object had never existed as part of any joint, official case assets.

"There was no key." His own voice sounded thin in the air, but Danny ground out the words definitively. "No key. No mention of a key. Nothing. What's it for?"

"That is something you have no need to know." Narrowing his eyes as Curtis's blurry face swam in front of him, Danny realized something. While it was very possible that both children had been abducted, it made more sense for the mobster to come after the former Kasey Pearce. He definitely had Rebecca and would have taken her for only one reason.

"Huh. I think I get it now. You took Rebecca because you think she either has it or knows where her mother may have hidden it." Measuring the man's response, Danny did his best to hold his gaze through his unrelenting migraine and emotional turmoil. Still trying to learn the truth about both children and praying there was only one though that almost felt wrong, Danny continued to prod and push.

"Not only did you take Rebecca Ramirez, but .. you took a cop, too." He coughed and shook his head against a rising woozy feeling.

"You don't know where it is." Danny slowly forced a wry smile despite his discomfort and fear. "You also don't know who has it … do you? You're pulling at straws. You're banking on a kid, Five-0 or the FBI? What's it for … why is it so damned special and why don't you know who really has it? If everyone thinks you're dead .. why don't you just leave while you can?"

His wise comments clearly angered Curtis who fisted his hands behind his back. "The key, Detective. Regardless of what I think or what it's for, if I don't get what I want then I suggest you begin your goodbyes to your daughter .. as well as your life."

"What are you going to do if none of us has it?" Struggling to control his emotions, Danny pushed harder and won the odd, sad victory because to that, there was no answer. It would be a lose-lose situation for everyone. Plunged once more into darkness, Danny's eyes welled with unshed tears as the door clicked shut to the shed and the lock solidly sounded once more.

Beginning to rub his wrists raw, Danny diligently tugged and strained against the ties on his wrists. The chair shuddered and began to creak in response as something else snapped under its seat. The crack was loud and the chair frame wobbled. Ignoring the sharp ache in his side and pushing through a weak dizziness, he fought to get free. Not for himself, but for Rebecca and the very strong niggling doubts about his own Grace.

He had learned more than he knew before. But the man was a lunatic and unless help arrived or he could find a way to escape, there would only be one end game for himself or the children. Danny could almost accept being expendable - key or no key, he was nothing in the equation. But he resolutely refused to allow either his own daughter or Rebecca Anne Ramirez to be used by Frank Curtis for personal gain as part of a child trafficking ring.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **the concept of this chapter is that Ellen got her hands on Mike's phone while the bad guys were still traveling to the hideout. So roughly, Steve and team are gathering and making plans just around the time the van arrives and Danny and Becca are separated. The end of this chapter has everyone now operating at the same time.

**CODIS** = (Wikipedia definition) Organized by the FBI, the United States maintains the largest DNA database in the world, with the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) holding over 9 million records as of 2011.

As an aside, my business trip was canceled but news is still not good. So fodder continues for my story! 35 people were laid off yesterday and it is so very sad since more is coming ... but the saber toothed bunny is quite well fed.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 7**

Steve had the parental watchdog application and all the information about Mike and Becca's smart phones from Ellen in hand seconds after their call ended; all the data was forwarded to both Chin and Kono automatically from there. With Chin driving, Kono was all over the watchdog application as well as double-checking Rebecca's cell phone for GPS functionality. She found both as she intently forgot where she was and the fact that her cousin was speeding back to the Five-0 offices. A sharp turn off the freeway to a secondary road, rocked her hard against the passenger door and still, Kono's nose was an inch above her tablet with fingers flying as she got lost in her deep concentration.

Her soft mutters and pleased but very distracted sounding self-conversation reached Chin's ears even under the blare of the car's sirens and while not exactly relaxing, he was undeniably relieved. Knowing better than to interrupt, Chin glanced only once or twice in her direction before focusing on the roads and the haste needed to get the mission defined with HPD SWAT. What he did notice was her pleased gentle smile and the fact that she was still actively working. Both were clear signs of success and for the first time in hours, Chin felt more hopeful. By the time he parked next to Steve who was already bounding across the sidewalk and up the stairs, he saw that Kono had a softly glowing red dot on her screen and a distinctly satisfied smile on her face.

"The app works and I am running a program to gather and download data on every cell site it pinged from the time Becca left the house. So far, everything corresponds." The data formed a trail and it would show the known beginning and the soon to be identified end; Chin just prayed it was the true landing spot and not some decoy or irrelevant place where they'd stopped and had already moved on. Or worse.

Taking the steps two and three at a time, they met Steve at the smart table where he was working on gaining additional resources. While he made a series of requests to HPD and to HPD SWAT command, Kono threw everything she'd been working on up on the big screens and began talking as soon as he indicated he was ready. "We're battling weather and the fact that Becca's cell phone could discharge its battery at any time." The afternoon was fast becoming evening and the weather reports were declaring a strong night-time rain-storm which would directly impact satellite service for the GPS data.

"I downloaded the parental watchdog app to each of our devices so we can share it against Becca's. If we go right out to this location, the optimal meet-up is here. The phone is transmitting in the Kualoa Valley area .. just at the southwestern lip of getting any service at all." Kono tapped the table and a small shopping center came up on the screen.

"The map is showing a few houses. Mostly vacation homes but there are one or two older established compounds but the GPS satellite images are coming back for this particular address just near the park. This rendezvous point is central, we can come in on foot and be closer than if we tried to go off-road and risk an accident. It's central and yet barely an odd mile from the site where the phone is still generating a signal."

None of them stated the potential for the phone to have been abandoned, stolen or tossed from a traveling car window. They refused to even consider that it could be a dead end or that either Becca or Danny might not be anywhere near the device. The fact that the signal was static gave them hope that the kidnappers had reached a final destination. Riveted by the transmission, all three absorbed every aspect of the coordinates.

"It's fairly remote but we can go cross country on foot to save time and come in unannounced. But this area is very hilly and just borders the jungle. The road disintegrates into a cow path and who knows if they are really even there." Steve closed his eyes briefly as he imagined Danny complaining about the same thing. "Damned cow path and by the time we get there it's going to be dark; it won't be an easy walk especially if the weather takes a turn … but we go on foot."

His worry clearly stretched across his entire face, Steve was crunching hourly numbers in his head while planning the most expedient rescue mission under the ever-changing conditions. Kono couldn't help heaving a very worried sigh as they each stared at each other. Her nervous rapping of the smart table annoyed Chin and he turned to walk to the other side of the large room. Upset and equally concerned, he was handling it much differently from his two more vocal teammates.

"They have to be there." Kono said while checking the reports and signals again. Trying to feel more confident than part of her might actually be, she completed her tracking and then made certain the application was indeed working properly. "They're going to be there .. and we'll find them."

"Night's falling. We have to give this a go .. we have nothing else at this point." They still didn't know who they were dealing with and only had a traumatized child's trembling four fingers guaranteeing the low count of the possible number of perpetrators. That same child voiced a bravely wise demand to _"Go find Danno"_ and Steve was determined to do just that. But they had no choice in going in relatively blind. So Steve griped even more while he looked out the windows at the growing darkness as the sun set and gauged the not so distant dark clouds. "We're going to lose close to two hours by the time we get ready, scramble and get our butts out there."

"Let's get on the road. We take everything including the kitchen sink." Selecting a favorite back-up shotgun, Chin already had opened the gun lockers as he began to gathering equipment which included expensive night vision goggles. The three worked silently, knowing that HPD SWAT mimicked their moves at their own offices in order to meet them. They quickly packed and settled in Steve's Silverado, all the time Kono was checking and rechecking the transmissions.

"No, no! Don't do that!" As if they were cognizant entities, she was talking to her tablet and smart phone at the same time. Her outburst startled Steve and Chin as she began to fret when the GPS signal faded for a moment as a result of a change in the weather patterns. They all knew that a bad storm would impact the GPS signal in the already remote location; plus as she had pointed out, the battery on Becca's phone would not last forever.

"It's getting dark earlier because of the clouds too and this weather change." She noted as the sun began to set in earnest. Nearing seven-thirty in the evening, each of them were also wondering why the kidnappers had yet to lodge their demands after nearly five hours of complete off the grid silence. It was almost becoming strange and Steve had begun to constantly check the time as a new worry began to eat away at him.

"Too long. It's been too long." Steve finally voiced the complaint as they entered the shopping center parking lot and parked in a far, remote side which was out of the way of the main flow of traffic and prying eyes. Nearly on their heels, the HPD SWAT van arrived with no less than four additional HPD cruisers as an escort. The show of power drew attention from the local shoppers who lingered to watch the assembly.

Distractedly, Chin watched Sergeant Duke Lukela and another HPD officer approach the overly interested public to dissuade the arbitrary video or photo taking. There was so much excitement, a few other officers had to be called in to keep people at a respectable distance. Cars were moved, cruisers were used to bodily create a fortress, and Lukela wound up being forced to assign a type of crowd control to their rally point.

"Kelly." Without looking, Chin quickly answered his phone as he sat on the lip of the truck's passenger seat. The call from the crime unit was unexpected even though he had put a rush on the results from the blood samples gathered at the Ramirez's home. Caught up in the preliminary information he was being presented with, Chin didn't hear Steve calling to him curiously.

"Hey, Chin? What do you have? Who's that?" Steve's voice was at a respectable low volume while the man talked. But on edge as they began to get ready, Steve was keen to know what had Chin's rapt attention. His friend hadn't responded to him yet, seemingly absorbed in the one-sided discussion as he remained in the truck speaking quietly to whomever was on the other end. After finishing the conversation and sliding out to join them, his face was still thoughtfully remote by whatever he'd been told.

Repeating himself, Steve paused while readying his second spare weapon. "So? What was that about?"

"The initial blood results are back from what we found on the hinges. CSU ran it through CODIS and got a hit." Chin was obviously puzzled by the results. "Do you remember Butch Curtis?"

He asked slowly, almost warily, and then flinched when Steve froze in place only to stare at him in utter disbelief. "Frank Curtis's cousin? The one that Amy Ramirez killed?"

"Yeah, the same." Affirming the stunned question about Rebecca's mother, Chin's own stomach was churning at the thoughts now running through his head because there would be only one reason for a Curtis plebe to be on the Island. "The DNA matches that of Warren Hicks, one of the men on the FBI watch list who had very close ties with Butch Curtis back in Las Vegas."

Butch Curtis and Becca's mother, Amy Wilkerson-Ramirez had become a close couple, even considering marriage. At the time, Amy was so delusional she had entirely assumed her adopted identity of Joanna Pearce. Accepting her company and falling for the woman, Butch had been entirely clueless about Amy's troubled mental past or of her real identity. But after witnessing Butch commit a violent act, Amy had unraveled so badly, the two had come to blows. In a panicked fit, she had actually murdered her one-time fiancé and the second in command to the illegal conglomerate. It had all occurred back in Vegas and Amy had fled that very night with her daughter first to Los Angeles and then on to Hawaii. The unlucky and terrible event had brought down the wrath of his beloved cousin, Frank Curtis, upon their very heads. It certainly had not helped that Amy had also stolen the thumb drive listing Curtis's high-stakes clients plus the black bag of diamonds along the way. All of these things tallied up to the primary reasons as to why Frank Curtis had so incessantly been driven to find both Joanna Pearce and her small daughter, Kasey. Not only had they killed his close cousin and betrayed his trust, they had seen too much, known too much and stolen very valuable collateral.

"Frank Curtis is in jail. Is this group taking orders from him .. or is it some other faction … or maybe, Hicks is in charge?" Steve wasn't getting the entire connection and this voice was roughened by frustration and the odd turn of events.

"Kono. What was the name of that FBI agent from the Amy Ramirez-Joanna Pearce case with Curtis?"

"Nice guy. Great to work with." Kono thought for a moment and then came up with the right answers. Her mind was a steel trap as she easily provided the name. "Older man, heavy-set. His name is Special Agent Jim Marcus and he's local."

"Get him on the line for me or get him here. We need his help with this Hicks character and I want to know what else he may have knowledge of." Kono did as demanded with much trial and error. It was after hours and Jim Marcus was on vacation. When she finally reached the agent, there was a great deal of party-like noise in the background and the two were practically shouting to hear the other.

"He's what!" Kono's harsh exclamation was cut short by Marcus's confirming words.

_"He's dead. The man was killed in jail about a month ago. He was beaten and nearly unrecognizable … shanked in the chest and the blade penetrated his heart. He died in the hospital."_

"Why didn't we know about this?" Kono demanded in as she called Steve back to her side. She was angry as Jim Marcus gave her a fast, abridged story of what he knew.

_"It all went down while I was involved on an important case. Besides the fact that it wasn't exactly bad news, it honestly slipped my mind and I just got some time off to be with my kids." _Marcus was apologetic and confused by the tone he was receiving. _"Why? What happened?"_

Kono was about to explain more when she saw the black look on Steve's face. He was suddenly studying an image on his cell phone and had become extremely moody and escalating to an irate but focused crescendo of motion. Chin was looking over Steve's shoulder and his eyes nervously danced from whatever they were looking at over to Kono.

"I have to go." She murmured distractedly to Jim Marcus. Whatever Steve had been sent trumped any possible knowledge that Marcus might have, and by his first reaction, he wouldn't have much for them. Interrupting him, Kono was already edging towards Steve and Chin. "Jim, something's up and I have to go."

"We have to go, cuz." Chin's soft warning reiterated the fact and was on the verge of Steve swallowing hard and jogging immediately over to meet with the SWAT Commander to set into motion the mission plans. The image had clearly set Steve off and even Chin was greatly disturbed by what he'd seen.

"Get what we need from this guy and let's go." Chin was ordering her now as he gathered their gear plus the night vision equipment.

Worriedly, Kono rushed her call now with Jim Marcus. "Can you get us information on Warren Hicks, one of Butch Curtis's original men? I know he's on your watch list .. we need to get an idea as to why he's here and who he might be working for now. Danny's been abducted along with Rebecca Ramirez and Hicks' DNA turned up at the crime scene."

Trying to hurry, Kono was now delayed by Marcus as he showed a renewed interest in what they were doing and why. Quickly recapping their mission plans for his benefit, Marcus insisted on getting his own men to at least the rendezvous point, though he understood that neither SWAT nor Five-0 had any inclination to wait for the FBI. By the time she finished and began readying her own equipment, Steve and SWAT had full command of their joint steps as they efficiently finalized their plan of attack.

"We double-time on foot based on the coordinates you recommended." He was once more too quiet as he shoved his cell phone under her nose while brusquely bringing her up to speed. They were all moving and fanning out in a near silent orderly fashion, but Kono hadn't budged when she saw the image. It was a similar reaction to Steve's own and he saw it all through his peripheral vision as he slammed his fingers into his black gloves and fastened the velcro tightly around his wrists.

"Oh, Steve." She murmured as a dark, angry look settled across her face. Badly beaten, bloody and trapped, Danny was a near devastated mess and like Steve, Kono couldn't quite read what she saw in his eyes. He was defiant and very much Danny, but also very much afraid and Kono couldn't bring herself to verbalize the word. "He looks … he _looks_ … Steve?"

"I know .. but he's also been shot. We need to find them now." Her eyes followed his to the same place in the image where she saw the large red stain across the left hand side of his shirt. Danny was slouched over heavily in the chair and it was apparent that he was in a bad way. It was their intent to prove that very fact to Steve. The very fact that whoever had Danny was in complete control. Steve felt the anger bubble again before coldly pushing it down to focus on how primed and ready he now was as he once again absorbed the abused state of his partner. The only thing the image did was coldly instill his resolve.

Glancing up, Steve saw that Chin was already waiting by the underbrush to begin their trek. Impatient and frowning, he was on the verge of calling to them again. "Move out, Kono."

Her hand shook involuntarily in surprise when Steve's phone hummed again without warning. In the middle of slamming extra clips home and striding away, he gestured for her to view the latest text message on his behalf and that's when she nearly dropped the device. Completely at a loss now, Chin was jogging back with a dark look on his face regarding their much too long delay.

"Steve. It's Ellen … it's the same message ... but it's Becca." Unable to help herself now, Kono's eyes filled with tears and her voice ended on a whisper. In the latest image, a rumpled and clearly terrified Rebecca sat cuffed to a bed in a nondescript room. Pretty pillows were stacked behind her back as she rocked on her knees with a terrified expression etched across her face. There was a bruise on her cheek and a surprising trace of real defiance in her eyes.

"She's so scared. Suppose they aren't in the same place?" A hard yank stubbed Kono's finger as Steve grabbed the phone back and cursed loudly. Chin echoed the same as he studied the latest image which had been sent to them. There was a good chance that the two had been separated and were being housed on completely different properties.

"We go .. we have no choice." Steve repeated and then began to urge them on. "We go .. and if they've already been separated, we pray that they are at least in the same vicinity."

An instant after, Steve glared at his device when an unknown number trilled through and he slammed the new call to his ear. The call would be the voice behind the sent images and in the back of his mind, he knew that Ellen Ramirez either was or would be getting a very similar phone call.

"Kono. Chin." He hissed while covering the microphone. Gesturing wildly he pantomimed that one of the cousins needed to contact the nurse immediately to recap how to handle herself.

"Who the hell are you, people?" Focusing on his own call, Steve's anger was undeniable. "And just what the _hell_ do you want?"

They all knew the call would be made from a burner or cloned phone and there would be no use in attempting to triangulate the signal. Listening closely, Steve could make out the subtlety of chittering nocturnal insects and the few squawks of distant, nighttime island birds. For him, it solidified the truth of Hicks and the men that Curtis or he may have ordered near their mission objective. He briefly registered that Kono was dutifully explaining to Ellen that they were near Kualoa and acting on the GPS and parental application. She was then instructing the frightened nurse on what to say and do once she received her separate call. And then it must have happened because Kono was left staring at her device with a pensive expression.

But then the background noise suddenly ceased and his ear felt as if he'd entered a hollow vacuum. His contact still had yet to speak and Steve gritted his teeth in frustration as he repeated himself. "You heard me. What the hell do you want with Detective Williams and a little girl?"

The voice was intentionally mechanized by a device to make it sound tinny and robotic which only served to raise Steve's hackles as it spouted the verbal demand. Though it was devoid of emotion and a true identity, Steve appended the strength and aggression into each word.

_"I expect that you just received my message; visuals are so much more impactful. Don't you think, Commander? Please take us very, very seriously. Starting now you have four hours. Midnight. You will be contacted again and we expect you to have in your possession a small silver key that once belonged to Mr. Frank Curtis. You will be instructed to text photographic proof to a particular number; it will be for a burner, so don't try and trace it. We have immediate plans for both Williams and the girl if you don't deliver what we want. Four hours. We will call you. New instructions will be given once we receive the photographic proof."_

Before he could respond, Steve was cursing into dead air and knowing that Ellen Ramirez had received an identical demand from a second robotic voice. He watched Kono touch base with the woman one final time to confirm the verbiage as she wiped a stray tear from her eye. But they were ready and he already had half the large team disappearing stealthily up into the low scrub towards a particular, remote vacation residence that Kono strongly believe would be their primary target. Approaching on foot might appear to be tedious in bad weather and at night, however it was a faster diagonal route. The abysmal jungle path was in truth, a very long one way only dead-end of sorts. Narrow and rutted, it afforded them no protection or element of surprise when they needed it the most.

"Four hours." Checking his watch as the wind kicked up around them and the air became heavy with the scene of rain, Steve was surprised to see it already eight o'clock. They needed to move quickly up the slope and based on coordinates, the combined joint teams could literally have eyes on their target within forty-five minutes.

"Kono, call Jim Marcus back and explain the demand. Have him set FBI resources on what they have in their evidence stores. Besides intel on Hicks, see if they come up with this key or something that needs a key .. anything. In the meantime, let's put this to bed before time's up." Eyes dark with a moody but very focused expression, they all moved out at a fast jog with Chin sharing data with the HPD SWAT members.

Dark was falling and wind devils were being kicked up in the parking lot as the winds shifted southwesterly and intensified. The change brought a chill and he frowned unhappily. Under his breath, Steve was making a promise to the darkening sky and to Grace who was sleeping in a hospital bed under Ellen's watchful care. "Well before that time is up. We're bringing them home."

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Back at the hospital, Ellen had stepped away from where Grace lay sleeping. She had tears making thick tracks down her cheeks as she clutched her phone to her chest. Barely forewarned by Kono, the robotically voiced demands were identical to what Five-0 had received with only a few, minor differences. It was terrifying, intimidating and Ellen already knew that Becca had no such object in her possession. Petrified now, she was desperate for Ponch to finish with his brother. Unseeing in the corridor, Ellen twirled around in a panic and then suddenly, Ponch was there holding her quaking shoulders and peering into her blood-shot watery eyes.

"What? What's happened? Did they call?" Unable to find her voice at first, Ellen slowly handed him the cell phone and the image which was still taking up the screen. Ponch's face fell and then just as quickly hardened in a fury. He saw nothing but his niece's blatant fear, bruised face and cuffed hand.

"They mentioned Frank Curtis." Hollow voiced, Ellen could only whisper what she knew so far. The name and the information was a severe blow to Ponch and he nearly staggered into the wall as his eyes widened. He had once refused to treat the man's injuries at Tripler just before he'd been tried and incarcerated. Not knowing that both the FBI and Five-0 believed Curtis to be dead, all the doctor wanted to do now was kill the man.

"They will call back with instructions by midnight ... but they want a key .. they want us to have some sort of ridiculous silver key by that time. The voice said that Rebecca .. and Danny .. would face the consequences if we didn't get it for them."

"Where?" Not entirely thinking but knowing Steve would be doing something by this point in time, Ponch recovered and gave his wife a small shake. "Where and what are they planning to do?"

"Here." Unexpectedly for her husband, Ellen took Mike's phone from her pocket. Before the call from the kidnappers, she had been continually staring at the glowing red dot in order to will her niece and Danny home safely.

"They think that Danny and Becca are being held near Kualoa at some house near the lower park basin based on this signal from Mike's phone. The signal means that Becca has hers with her, and Steve thinks they can find them using the parental tracker application." It could mean other things too, but Ellen was choosing to believe it was a real beacon.

Without a word, Ponch was stunned into silence when he took his brother's smart phone and stared at the red dot and tiny map-like features. It took him a long minute to realize what he was seeing and then understand the why of it which prompted his face to change drastically yet again.

"Stay here, Ellen. Take care of Mikey for me." Like Steve, he had become moodily quiet and practically monotone. She certainly should have known when he kept Mike's smart phone for himself, but after seeing the photo of Becca and then hearing the mechanical demands, Ellen was excruciatingly slow to react.

She only closed her eyes when Ponch kissed her once on the forehead and then simply left her side.

By the time she realized what he was doing or what he might be planning, Ellen didn't have the nerve nor the inclination to stop him. After her last glimpse of his white lab coat disappearing out the side employee door and towards the parking lot, Ellen re-entered the emergency room area to sit by Grace .. and wait.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **the next chapter may take a day or two. Things are a tad nutty at work as I've said. Thank you for the GREAT reviews! This chapter may make everyone feel a bit better about things.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 8**

There was another loud crack and then it sagged dangerously to the left .. towards the one direction Danny feared the most before the bottom of the seat and the front left leg both gave out with a startling, explosive pop. He had no time to worry if anyone outside could hear it as he hung poised just inches above the dirt floor.

"Crap. This .. is really ... going to ..hurt." He couldn't hide from his own quiet and very plaintive moan which also hung in mid-air as long as the chair seemed to keel on end for a micro-second. The rear leg partially fractured and Danny landed hard on his left shoulder. On reflex, he tried to curl up into himself from the bone-jarring pain while laying on his side in the still damp hard-packed earth. But with legs and right hand still firmly attached to the chair, he only managed to pull more on the remaining tight bindings.

Trapped under his body, his left hand was a mass of bloody sliced skin and he swore two fingers were broken because the bindings tore loose from the arm of the chair at the same time his body hit the ground. He lay there stunned and gasping against the pain that riddled and throbbed from his fingers, through the back of his hand and then into his badly torn wrist. Separately, his left shoulder had taken the brunt and weight of everything else. However, Danny was wholly astonished that he didn't feel anything else ... at least not quite yet.

He could sense the glimmers of the sharpness coming as soon as he propped himself on his left elbow and tried to survey the nearest tools in the old shed. It was at that point where his ribs, the hole in his side, and wounded head all decided to join the crescendo of nauseating and near-crippling agony. Danny was positive he'd never hurt quite this badly as he sagged limply into the hard dirt floor and simply tried to heave in a strangled breath of musty air.

"Not yet." He whispered as his vision grayed-out and a pang of nausea reached his throat. He was shaking from the blinding white pain which only subsided after much too long of a time. And then he was left being afraid to twitch even a finger as sweat poured off his face and his limbs vibrated uncontrollably.

Thoughts of Grace and Becca got him on the move though as he blinked away a cold sheen of sweat that dribbled into his eyes. He had no time for it as he craned his neck for something sharp to cut himself free. One armed, he began a slow drag towards a metal table that held a variety of shining implements. After two or three tugs across the ground, where the left rear leg of the chair scored the dirt in a long rut, Danny had to stop. Head wearily resting on his left forearm, he sucked in air and battled the bile that rose in his throat. Besides his ribs and pain his head, the tearing agony from the bullet wound in his side left him weak and nearly in a swoon.

Rather than from the chair, the creak now came from inside his chest where Curtis's medical goon had duly noted a possible cracked rib. He was also further ruining the rude medical bandages as he scrabbled along and he could almost feel the wound bleeding once more. He didn't rest long as the fingers which worked dug painfully into the dirt and he pulled himself again towards the table.

Starting on his elbow, he heaved himself up half-way only to gag at what felt like a knife in his head. Danny's vision left instantly as muscles became liquid and he briefly blacked out with another miserable thud to his damaged side. His objection to himself was louder as he refused to give up. "No .. no time."

The wind was rattling the door and he could hear spent leaves rustling past the shed as the storm came closer. That urged him on along with the thoughts of how frightened the two children must be alone with Curtis. Panting and demanding his eyes to focus in the dark haze, Danny tried a different tactic as he reached out with his left hand when he finally saw what looked like a broom handle leaning up near the wall. Awkwardly, he hefted the pole up over his head and blindly swept the open air until he connected with every implement he could which rested on the old table. Dust and cobwebs flew up in the air as he groaned in pain and used all his remaining strength to sweep whatever he could to the floor. The resulting crash sounded incredibly loud to his ears in the small room and he paused with his heart hammering in his chest waiting for the alarmed shouts or footsteps. It was much worse than the destruction of the chair and Danny held baited breath as more sweat trickled down his face.

"Good. Okay .. good" He breathed out a shuddering breath as he blinked almost in surprise when nothing happened and no one showed up at the shed door. Only loose rustling leaves and the occasional wind-swept branch hitting the roof of the shed kept him company. Waiting just a hairs-breadth longer, he desperately rummaged through his new treasure. Three rusty screwdrivers and one gardening spade were his immediate finds, along with an empty tin can, two glass jars that miraculously didn't break, and a large variety of nails, washers and bolts which had rained down almost everywhere. But the coups de grace was the set of rusty hinged gardener's pruners. Setting to work on his right hand, Danny awkwardly snipped the ties and then used both hands to force the dull blades to snip his ankles free from the rest of the over-turned chair.

Drained of energy, Danny couldn't help slumping weakly back with his legs and arms outstretched limply. The pruners lay on his chest, rising up and down in motion to his sickened, shuddering breath. With dull eyes that were now tiny slits, he was barely staring at the ceiling of the old shed before realizing that he was shivering. It was an uncontrollable response to stress and shock, and dismally he flopped his hand to the bandages to feel that they were becoming more sticky with fresh blood.

"Get up." Danny's voice was a mere whisper as his hand flopped again in the air. There was no time as the clock kicked down to the ultimate hour when Curtis would return. But his body refused to respond to the verbal demands he whispered again and again. "Get up. Come on .. up."

The wind kicked up and a branch rubbed another to sound like a soft screech and his eyes sprung open wide. It almost sounded like a child crying again and his adrenalin sparked motion. A foot twitched and then his knee. Screwing his eyes tightly shut against the pain that would come, he rolled to his side with a deep guttural moan. Left swaying on his hands and knees, and with screwdrivers gripped in a fist, this time Danny successfully used the same metal table for a brace to crawl himself up.

Pallor gray and swaying badly while clutching his dangerous treasure and wounded side, this time he made it to his feet and then to the door.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Becca had stopped her tears because crying solved nothing and she wasn't afraid of the dark. She had been on her own so much in her young past, being afraid like that had served no purpose at all. No one ever came anyway; so little Kasey Pearce quickly learned that there was no point to some very childish and unfounded fears.

As the odor of frozen oven-baked pizza filled the house, she was sitting on the bed with her knees tightly drawn up to her chest and simply staring at the door waiting for the knob to turn. She ignored the hungry growl of her stomach and had steadfastly refused to talk to the bad men. She also determinedly refused any of their water or offers of soda. One plastic cup filled with ice-cold water still sat just within reach, quickly brought to her by one of the men who had stayed in the house when Curtis went to visit Danny in the shed. But Becca didn't want any part of their limited acts of supposed kindness knowing that the threatened one hour of time would soon be up.

What did frighten her was the name _Kasey Pearce_ and what it represented. Where her mother had embraced the Pearce name and identity, Becca had resented it. With her father Mike, Aunt and Uncle, she had left that life and had no intention of ever returning there. She hated Kasey Pearce and the terrible threat of knowing about or finding some special key proved it in spades.

Acclimated to the dark bedroom, Becca could see the pile of toys, books and the ugly blue dress. It could be lined with lace, have ruffles and shine with sparkly sequins and she would hate that dress, too. She only wanted whatever her father so generously bought for her with the happy excuse of '_just because, Becca'_. The collectible doll stood just above it on the dresser staring at her with its equally ugly green eyes that never closed. This was different and everything came with a price; even at eleven years of age, Becca knew that much. Sadly rubbing her forehead on her folded arms, she jolted in shock when she heard a scratching sound at the tightly closed window.

That was new and Becca scrunched down with large eyes as she waited to see what would happen. Shuttered from the outside, only a glimmer of poor moonlight was coming through and at first Becca really thought the coming storm was the culprit. But when one shutter swung open and a shiny long object appeared, she bit her lip in confusion.

She watched as the screwdriver was wedged under the middle of the exterior frame and raised her eyebrows in alarm when the casement cracked and broke from a determined force. The window raised an inch, fingers appeared and then a hand; a few frightening minutes later, Danny's head popped into view.

"Uncle Danny?" She barely got her stunned words out of her mouth as he disappeared for a moment to rest against the outside of the house. Having used one of the screwdrivers to break the lock and wedge the shed door open, he had to take a wide route through the cusp of the treed area surrounding the house to avoid the two men smoking cigarettes by the parked van. He had stayed low surveying the length of the house to estimate where the kitchen, living room and long hallway might be to the bedrooms. He had tried to count heads, ending at five with the two smokers outside and three lounging in the living room based on silhouettes and shadows. They were all evidently relaxing or getting ready to eat a poor man's dinner based on the faint scent of food cooking. The effort to make his final decision had cost him not only time, but precious reserves of energy. However, he'd been correct and for first finding Rebecca, Danny was immensely grateful.

The height of the window was just right to hoist himself up .. on a good day. On a normal, good day Danny could easily press his hands to the sill and hop right up to swing his legs into the room. But as he rested against the side of the house, he was very far from having that happen.

Trying to be silent, Danny held a shaking finger to his lips to keep her quiet because Becca was clearly excited to see him. She had no idea though, the extent of his injuries and how much effort it was going to physically take him to get her out and both of them away. Having wanted the van, the jungle was the next best option for them and only pure adrenalin was keeping him on his feet.

Using a large rock to gain some inches, he literally hauled himself through the opening to fall bodily into the room. It was then that Becca saw the long, dark streaks across the white window sill and realized Danny wasn't getting up from the floor.

"Uncle Danny?" She hissed his name quietly but was unable to see more than his arm. But that arm moved and he was soon clambering to his feet.

"Becca. Let's go, we have no time. Where's Grace?" Danny was working through his woes and not entirely aware of the handcuff yet. The room was small and she was the only child present and he felt a terrible pang in his chest.

"Becca?" Standing near her, he wound up sinking down to the bed when she didn't move and stroked her hair just once. "Are you okay? Where's Grace?"

Carefully, Becca touched Danny's arm and then tentatively the stain on his ruined shirt. Her eyes widened when she saw the funny way he was breathing and then all of the blood that had smeared down his bruised face and chest. Then, he was also sitting hunched over and holding his side.

"They hurt you." She whimpered before staring accusingly at the bedroom door where she could hear faint voices. "They hurt you bad."

"It's okay." Danny promised. "I just need a minute … and then we need to go. Do you know where they took Grace?"

He missed her confused expression about Grace, because she rattled the metal handcuff. He hadn't realized entirely why she hadn't moved or that she was sitting so oddly on the bed.

"I can't." Scrunching down next to Danny, she picked up his right hand and held it in her lap. "Uncle Danny? I'm stuck."

Limited by the handcuff, Becca could move just so far and he frowned as his eyes followed her shoulder to her wrist and the too tight cuff holding her to the bed frame. He stuttered, blinked in shock and then ignored his pain to lurch over to where he could get a better look.

"What the hell is this?" A fury rolled through him as he gently palpitated her shoulder, arm and slightly swollen wrist. Even in the dark, he could see her pained wince and then the bruises and bloody scrape marks. The surprise of seeing Danny and now having him sitting right next to her, left Becca trembling. His anger made that worse and she didn't understand why he was asking about Grace. She wanted to help but didn't know what to do as he fumbled for the screwdrivers he had shoved in his pockets.

"You're sick." She whispered when she felt the heat radiating from his body and yet his hands were ice-cold as he set to work on the bed frame. "I hate him, Uncle Danny. I want to go home."

"Becca, we are leaving as soon as I get this off you." His own harsh whisper was broken, but filled with volumes of a new anger as he tried to silently work the metal on metal trap. Stopping to wipe sweat from his face, Danny traced the bruise he could now see on her cheek and glowered in rage not understanding that she'd done it herself in the van. He was tense and near sick at the thought Grace might be nearby equally frightened and trapped.

"Does it hurt bad, baby?" The screwdrivers weren't working on the cuff or bed frame and now, he was becoming desperate. He waited for her reply though while looking around the room for some other tool he might be able to leverage.

"No. I'm okay." She was still biting her lip as Danny took a short second to once more rub his knuckles softly against her pale cheek. It was clear that she was lying for him and much more afraid about how he must look for the blood and bruises. He stopped though when she suddenly pulled back from him.

"Becca? What's wrong?" She suddenly looked wrung out and as beaten down as he felt by the frightening events. A new worry teased his brain as her eyes flickered towards the door where they could hear muffled conversation. She unconsciously flinched when a loud noise echoed and he felt the tremor clear down to her fingertips.

"I'm here now and you're okay." He tried to calm her and get her attention which he only barely succeeded at. Gently, he thumbed a tear away and this time, she melted into the caress with more trust.

"Is Grace here, too?" The tone of his question caused an odd reaction as Becca knit her brow and worried her lip even more. She finally heard him ask and didn't know what to say. The bad men had only taken the two of them and she didn't understand him. Her old habits from her time as Kasey Pearce toyed with her and Danny was alarmed for her when her face closed off.

"He calls me Kasey all the time. I hate him." She changed the subject entirely as her face darkened in a combination of anger, fear and distrust. "I'm not her. I'm not going back and I don't lie."

"I know that, sweetie." Pushing his body more upright despite the pain, Danny heaved in a shuddering stunned puff of air. She was suddenly distant from him and her tone was scarily mature. They had no time to talk and her whispers were getting louder, forcing him to lay a finger on her lips as a demand.

"Shhh, Becca. No. Of course not. You're Rebecca and always have been … you always will be. I promise that you're going home. I promise." He put as much into the words as he was physically able. Pulling himself off the bed, he went to the dresser where he eyed the annoying line up of gifts. He grimaced at the collectible doll as he picked it up and brought the expensive thing back to the bed. While talking to Becca, Danny flipped the doll over and rummaged through the extravagant petticoats and doll-sized clothing to get to the porcelain and fabric form underneath. Another part of him had an ear tuned to the rest of the house as he listened to the thrum of men talking and vainly tried to hear any sound from his own daughter.

"Remember how brave you were when you lost your mom and were on your own? And then you found Uncle Steve and after that, so many good things happened? We found your Aunt and Uncle ... and then Mike, your dad, came for you." His fingers searched through the heavy doll material until he found what he wanted. With a flourish and triumphant grin, Danny pulled out two large straight pins from inside the folds of cloth and the petticoats promptly fell into his lap.

Her face changed through so many emotions, he wasn't sure where she wound up as she stared back at him. She was oddly confused by the pins and the doll as her eyes flickered from what he held back to his face. "I promise, Rebecca. You are going back home in one whole safe piece. I just have to get this damned cuff off you."

He wasn't sure what would happen after that. But Danny was positive that he would do everything in his power to protect her and get her back home to her family. She must have finally believed him, though it took her a long time to eventually nod in agreement.

Quietly caressing her hair before using the sharp pins to pick the lock on the cuffs, Danny repeated his question. "Can you tell me though if he has anyone else here .. did he bring Grace along, too?"

"What do you mean? No." A careful monotone reply indicated that her trust was sorely being tested because he should know, and Danny gently cupped her trembling chin.

"It's okay, Becca. It's just me and it's not a trick; I will always believe you." Tears leaked out from her long lashes as she laid her hand on his to fumble for his fingers for reassurance. Danny was sure that he was going to kill not only Frank Curtis, but each of the men that had terrified Mike Ramirez's little girl.

"My head hurts and I don't remember, Becca. I just don't remember what happened. Can you help me by telling me what you saw?"

"Yes. It's just me and you here." She nodded quickly then as she held his hand tightly. "We were at Uncle Ponch's house and the bad men showed up. They took me and you … Grace was inside in the bathroom. The bad men didn't go in the house."

She refused to say that her father had been shot and Danny didn't ask. He needed to know that Curtis had indeed been lying about abducting both girls and he could have cried at the sheer relief of finally hearing the truth. The tumblers clicked and then he felt the lock give and Becca gasped when her wrist fell free.

"Time to go." His eyes glittered in the pale light as she smiled and helped him to the window. Danny swung out first and fought the urge to crumble to his knees as he hit the dirt. Almost immediately, Becca was in his arms and sliding down next to him. Taking his time, Danny closed the shutters and the two limped off away from the van, the men and the frightening house.

They shuffle walked for minutes until Danny's adrenalin truly began to wane thin. They had evaporated into the depths of the jungle and he purposefully went up the mountain to keep the house well in view. But it was an enormous struggle in the dark and with his injuries worsening after only fifteen minutes.

"Uncle Danny." He paused for them both to rest; though he was barely standing at that point. Wavering on his feet and bent over, Becca had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist to offer support. He was breathing hard as every torturous step pulled his body closer to collapse.

"What, Becca?" Danny gasped around a dull cough.

"Is Daddy coming for us?" It was hard even with Grace because Danny never lied either. Becca knew too that Mike had been gravely injured; it was the last shred of her trusting innocence that was begging for some kind of hope. But his answer would be made doubly more difficult because Rebecca was much worldlier than his own daughter in so many other ways. She had seen and been through too many frightening situations and here was another to add to her young roster of experiences.

Danny lay a hand on the top of her head because he was desperate to save at least a tiny piece more of her innocence and trust. "Your father will always come for you, Becca. Always. Don't you ever doubt that for one second. And if he can't for whatever reason, then your Uncle Ponch will come with Aunt Ellen."

She accepted it and Danny felt her arms gently tighten before her head nodded against his side.

"And Uncle Steve." Becca tearfully added as they started their slow stagger to gain more distance from the house. "With Aunt Kono and Uncle Chin."

Her lip trembled as she burrowed her face into him and he winced but said nothing about it. She seemed to feel guilty about his involvement and yet there was no reason for it. In essence, it really wasn't even her mother's fault for she had been mentally unstable and suffering from post traumatic stress. Little Rebecca had been an unwitting and quite unwilling accomplice to those old schemes that created a sad life for a once lonely, Kasey Pearce. In addition, Frank Curtis was beyond an eleven year-old's control and he was willing to do just about anything to anyone.

Picking his way over rough ground, Danny managed to smile when he heard her last words. "And you, too, Uncle Danny."

"You bet. Me too and that's exactly why we are going to hide until help comes." Using her Uncle Ponch's special nickname for her, Danny awkwardly kissed her forehead as he stumbled passed ferns and dark tree trunks.

"Someone will always come for you, Sprite. I bet they're on their way now and we just gave them a little bit of help. They need all the help they can get, too." Danny smiled encouragingly at Becca as she took a deep breath and rocked to a stop under the wide branches of an impressive tree. He could barely see her face at that point and the wind was beginning to pick up as a few stray rain drops pelted their backs.

"Do you think my cell phone will help, then? I hid it in the van."

"What?" His smile faded immediately as his voice dropped to an inaudible level. It was more than he could have hoped for himself and Danny was honestly stunned. "Your what .. you did what?"

"Daddy got me a phone and he showed me the kid finder app. We played hide and seek at the mall and it works. I was afraid that they would find it, so I got it out of my pocket and left it in the van." Becca stared at him, bewildered by his odd reaction and then worried, bordering on frightened because she thought she'd done the wrong thing.

"Was that bad?" She whispered softly. Uncertain, she stepped back from him and shivered from the cooler breeze.

A few things went through his mind, including a worry that they were much too remote. Or, that the battery might die if it hadn't already. But if anyone on his team realized that Becca even had the device, then Kono would work her magic off the last cell sites that were pinged. It would bring help closer. It would give them a real chance and ten to one - no, there were no odds. Danny knew then that help was most certainly on its way.

"No. Bad? Not at all." Danny forgot about the pain he was in and nearly laughed out loud as the wind intensified. He hugged her back to him, one-handed to his body and felt lighter despite his injuries and their still dire predicament. At his chuckle, Becca began to giggle softly as a true smile beamed back down at her.

"You wonderful, smart, brilliant kid .. you are amazing." Beyond astonished, Danny warmly hugged Rebecca to his side. "Damned straight help is coming!" Glancing towards the somewhat far away lights from the house below them, Danny gently urged them both forward into deeper brush to hide.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **I got to meet Fifilla yesterday in person because she was vacationing in NYC! what a nice lunch we had and Fifilla is as wonderful as her stories!

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 9**

Ponch drove like a mad man through the city streets and out towards Kualoa. The red dot on his brother's smart phone guided him and within a short time, he was on a secondary road crossing over to a rutted and terribly maintained tertiary until he was barely on a road at all. Driving through what seemed like a large field, he mentally swore to himself that he would never argue with the man about what Rebecca needed or didn't need ever again. Obviously, Mikey knew much more than the old fool doctor that he'd become.

Hitting a deep rut and nearly losing control of the steering wheel, it was then that he realized his terrible error. Slamming on the brakes, he skidded a decent distance in the hard dirt before stopping on the narrow path. He was breathing hard as he finally noticed where he was and wondering exactly what he thought he was doing. Strangling the steering wheel in his truck in utter frustration and self-recrimination, he took a real note of his surroundings which included nothing more than jungle, wild animals and a sky that was becoming darker and more threatening with every passing second.

Ponch's eyes flew to the red dot and he read the mapping feature which declared him a mere mile or so from his desired destination. It called to him but he wasn't stupid .. distracted and single-minded, even bull-headed .. at least never quite this stupid. Though once more in just under two minutes, Ponch felt as if he was borderline on that assessment.

Disgusted with himself, he threw his big truck into reverse and backed down the way he had come. He backed all the way down until the path engaged the near equally poor tertiary road. With an arm tossed over the seat, a rather furious expression and his head turned over his shoulder, he continued on backwards until he could park more wisely out of sight.

In a mood about what he'd almost done, Ponch pulled a backpack from the rear and double-checked his available medical supplies. A rain slicker followed based on the pending storm and then he only paused to triple check the full clip he had loaded in his pistol. Two separate spare clips lay within reach in zippered breast pockets, as well as a flashlight and decently sized sheathed knife. Studying the path from which he'd so hastily returned, Ponch decided on a lateral bushwhacked trail through the jungle to follow the guiding signal as mapped out on Mike's smart phone.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Nine persons eventually encircled the house from the darkness of the jungle. All had night-vision goggles and each was well-armed and highly trained. Each registered the change in weather and then promptly ignored it. They had a job to do to bring one of their own home, as well as an innocent little girl.

As luck would have it, Steve and Kono were closest to the small shed where Danny had been held. Chin and two of the SWAT team were directly opposite the compound and well hidden in the trees as they eyed two criminals by the van. The two were loud, overly happy and smoking heavily as they joked about something no one could actually hear. However, their general jubilant tone irked not only Chin but the two SWAT team members who sensed the coming fight.

Before announcing their arrival, Steve and the SWAT leader had naturally agreed to case the property first in an attempt to locate the detective and little girl, as well as to correctly number their adversaries. Word was coming back from Chin and the other paired men that Grace's initial frightened information was about right; four had merely become five.

"Perfect." Steve noted under his breath. He was inordinately pleased as counts of no more than those five individuals were reconfirmed from various hidden points. Cautiously moving forward, he skirted the shed with Kono low behind him. The persistent breeze had become a stronger wind and the rustling of leaves and branches covered any odd noise they might have made. From the side of the shed, they both could just see the two men who were laughing and finishing their cigarettes outside the old Ford van. Still able to use the parental application, it was obvious that they were literally sitting on top of the red dot.

"Kono." Motioning for her to stay close, Steve was on his knees when he used the tip of his knife to edge the door open. He already knew things had changed when he saw the broken latch which was barely keeping the door from swinging and banging open in the wind. A quick glance once and then twice showed him the interior was indeed empty, so he entered with Kono still following to cover his back. Gently closing the door again, they put their backs against the wall to survey the small space.

"He got out." Steve whispered as he dropped completely to his knees by the broken chair and damp earth. Removing his goggles, he used a small penlight to better see the darkly stained ground and the blood left on the snipped ties and broken pieces of wood.

His face became a dark, brooding mask as he mentally calculated the size of the stain and what seemed to be ample enough blood loss. A broom handle lay diagonally across the space near a table and Steve realized that had been used to create the mess of miscellaneous tools and odd items spilled across the ground.

"He was here and he just got out." Steve confirmed as he checked the shine of the blood with a gloved finger. It was relatively fresh and he stared worriedly at Kono. "He was just here … and he must be close."

Despite the stains, the cocky grin on Kono's face lit her features even in the dark and she nodded in approval. Happily she whispered the news to the rest of the large team with caution to be on the watch for the injured detective. A discarded pair of gardener's pruners lay near a few of the broken bonds and Steve grinned as he held them up for Kono.

"Green thumb." Steve gently joked and Kono's grin deepened. But then she found the blood-streaked blue medical gloves closer to her in the corner by the door and she shook her head in confusion.

"What does this mean?" She whispered tossing them to land near Steve's knee. "What did they do? Weird."

He grimaced and shrugged because he doubted any sort of medical intervention on his partner's behalf. Unless of course, Hicks or someone was worried about keeping Danny alive … just long enough. The realization pulled at Steve's chest and he pushed the bad feeling back down. Danny had escaped and that was more than a good sign; the fact that he had gotten out under his own inventive steam was definitely good enough. So far.

"House then?" She whispered in a low, hushed tone. Steve instantly knew what she meant and he agreed. Danny had likely gone to the house to find Rebecca. It certainly indicated that she was there inside and his partner hoped to rescue her alone. But Steve was undeniably worried by the image sent to them all and then the volume of blood he was seeing gracing the hard dirt of the shed. The gloves added a perplexing but ominous clue to Danny's real potential injuries and to the damage which Hicks and his accomplices had inflicted.

Steve knew that his partner was badly injured and attempting a rescue which he would need to do, but likely couldn't entirely succeed with in his condition. If Becca wasn't there, then the second option was that Danny had simply gone into the jungle to save himself. Again, Steve doubted how far Danny might get based on his injuries.

Either way, they all needed to end the standoff, so Steve whispered commands to his team but he was interrupted by one of the SWAT leads. _"We have movement. Just below the tree line and approaching the van. One man … big guy."_

Soft confirmations were sent amongst the team that it wasn't one of their assembled own. "Chin, you're closest." Steve didn't need to finish his command as the Asian readied his shot-gun and crept in the identified direction with a SWAT team member backing him up. The rest of the team held their ground and waited watching with night-vision goggles where they could, two forms approaching the new arrival.

_"Son of a bitch. What are you doing here?"_ No one was used to hearing Chin swear so adamantly and the anger-laced words added an odd layer to the short sentence. There was a long moment of silence as they all waited and held position.

Chin's shotgun was leveled directly at Doctor Ramirez's broad chest. Out of breath and emotional, the big doctor didn't even raise his hands to protect himself as a second weapon was aimed at his head. Removing his goggles and dropping the shot gun, Chin waved the SWAT officer to do the same.

"How did you get here?" Chin knew the answer before Ponch held out Mike's smart phone. The glowing red dot was unmistakable and Chin shook his head in disgust. "Doc, you can't be here."

"If you think I'm leaving, you're crazy." It was then that Chin saw the small pistol in the doctor's other hand. They glared at each other and Chin had no choice. "Besides, you might need me. Becca or Danny might need me."

Narrowing his eyes because he was still angry and now worried about the doctor's presence, Chin Ho raised his hand to negate part of the angry comments. "That may be, but there isn't a single man here that isn't trained in some sort of triage, Doc."

Ponch set his lips firmly and stood his ground. So close now, he had no intention of leaving. None at all. "I"m staying for the duration." A few drops of cold rain started to fall as the skies darkened to almost meet the challenge of his words and Chin sighed. In his ear, Steve had enough of the long wait and all the officers each heard his impatient demand.

"Report." Steve breathed out still holding position in the shed with Kono. "Chin?"

_"Doc's here."_ There was even a long pregnant pause of which after only Kono and Steve seemed to understand what Chin was saying._ "Doc's here; armed and refusing to leave."_

"What!" Steve's honest reaction was hissed back over the air-waves.

_"Commander?"_ Higgins, the SWAT leader was confused and softly questioning the situation from his vantage at the rear of the property where he was watching the three house-bound perpetrators.

_"What's this about? Who's Doc?"_ The soft whispers were irritating, causing delay, and Steve pursed his lips in disgust before briefly hanging his head in the dark.

"It's Rebecca Ramirez's Uncle. He's a physician at Tripler." The audible aggrieved sigh ricocheted through all their communications devices and a few men grinned but most were understandably more neutral to annoyed on hearing the information. Whoever the new arrival was, it only gave them another civilian to watch out for.

"Keep him near you, Chin. But make it very clear that he's to stay out of this." Kono was one of those grinning widely and so much so, Steve had to smile ruefully, though he ran an aggravated hand through his hair. The urge Kono had to be happy faded just as quickly when Steve motioned to the house. "Let's go. Up top."

Unbeknownst to Steve or Kono, they were following a similar track as their injured friend through the edge of the trees and underbrush. It put both he and Kono near the bedrooms and the one window where Danny had so recently been to retrieve Becca. Soon six had taken up positions around the home, while Chin and three others monitored the two still conversing and smoking by the van. Only a very perturbed Doctor Ramirez had been forced to hide well back behind Chin's position with an enraged, hushed warning that had made the doctor's ears turn scarlet.

"Ready." Steve confirmed as the odor of cooking food reached him, but he and the SWAT leader's intention to engage was abruptly delayed when a light suddenly went on in the bedroom nearest Steve's location. There was a murmur from Steve to wait and hold positions. Then the strong one-worded command was nearly drowned out by a shout of alarm from the house.

"She's gone! The kid's not here .. she's gone, boss!" Other startled shouts resounded inside the house which immediately had the two men by the van reacting. It was all Steve and the SWAT leader required to simultaneously demand action. Their combined action may have been momentarily delayed, but the frantically shouted words from inside the house provided Steve and Kono with even more information indicating that Danny had indeed gotten the child out of harms' way.

_"Five-0! Down .. down now - hands up!"_ Cognizant of Chin's strident voice, no shots were fired at first near the van but then the situation changed entirely. The tell-tale sound of Chin's shotgun was heard once .. and then twice. Following that, a rapid volley was sharply exchanged with the three inside the house.

"Damn it." Steve growled out as they took offensive positions and descended on the main structure with loudly shouted demands that were only met with additional gunfire. Lights were quickly turned off in every room but the felons didn't entirely realize that their perceived attackers were well prepared with night-vision goggles and fire power that rivaled, if not surpassed, their own stores.

In just a few seconds, the combined team took on a well-defined orchestrated attack against both house and van. It lasted longer than the large team wanted even though the two by the van were soon incapacitated by Chin's small group. Both men were injured and duly brought under control leaving the main house as the primary target.

Easily viewing the site through his goggles, Higgins watched the figures of Kono and Steve creep stealthily out from the tree line to peer through the window where Danny had once retrieved Becca. The open design of the main living area allowed a decent view, and Higgins was pleased to be able to provide cover. Higgins had his men continue firing to keep the three remaining criminals at the far end nearer the kitchen and living space as Steve hoisted himself first up and through the window with Kono following. He lost sight of the two Five-0 officers then but was confident of their safety as they softly cleared that end of the house with constant chatter.

"Steve." Once they had made it into the bedroom, Kono turned around to spy the long bloody streaks on the window sill and then smeared on the floor. The bed was rumpled and dirty, again marked with similar smudges. She ran her finger over the marred wood on the sill to feel the splintered gouges where Danny had used the screwdrivers to force the window open.

"He broke in and got her out." Steve nodded. His face was severe when he saw the sick array of toys and the new dress, but his eyes showed his true concern which only worsened when he caught sight of the handcuff still attached to the bed frame. Striding over, he frowned at the doll until he saw the two pins laying on the comforter cover. The severity changed immediately to a pleased soft chuckle as Steve picked up the collectible doll and the petticoats fell to the floor.

"Only Danny." He breathed out in a chuffed, happy voice when he picked up the two pins. It was obvious that his partner had used the doll to find the pins. Then, he had picked the lock on the cuff to free Rebecca. Turning to Kono his smile was oddly bright in the darkness of the room. "How does he know these things?"

Kono laughed very softly with a wry shrug. "We'll have to ask him, boss!" Tossing the doll back to the bed, Steve and Kono moved to the partially opened bedroom door. Slowly, their room to room search continued to the rear of the house where no added surprises were found.

_"Steve. Report. No friendlies?"_ Higgins reconfirmed as he took aim at a particular form that was in his clear line of sight. The mist was about to turn to rain, but Higgins never budged or even blinked. He was validating his ability to fire at will and it was easy once Steve approved.

"We're in. Rooms are clear. Take him." Steve affirmed as he and Kono finished their tour at the far end of the house. Positioning silently on opposite sides of the final bedroom door waiting for Higgins' next move, his pointed look at Kono indicated that they would soon be organizing a rescue mission into the jungle.

Outside, the grin on Higgins' face was subtle and extremely focused. Choosing a point just to the right of his target's spine and a hair below the shoulder-blade, he fired. There was a distinct chance that he would kill the man, but also an opportunity to grievously wound. It was a very specific move as he pulled the trigger, heard the pop and saw the man whale a hand behind his back as if to wave off a bee. Then his target fell to the ground in the kitchen.

_"Two."_ Higgins drawled as way of update. The SWAT team's counter-fire continued and only ceased when final reports sounded from Steve's new location inside. Higgins watched as one other man fell and the last dropped his weapon to back up to a far wall with his hands raised in submission. By the size and slender outline, Higgins knew Kono was in control of the final perpetrator. Only then did the fire fight completely stop and silence reign through the area.

"Secure." Kono called out as Steve thumbed the house lights back on in every room, including the exterior porch lights. She had her weapon aimed unwaveringly at the head of the last man. When the lights went on, she whipped off her night-vision goggles and her following curse rivaled that of her cousin's spouted just a few minutes earlier when he found Doctor Ramirez in the jungle.

"What?" Steve demanded as he cuffed the two injured and joined her to keep the last at bay.

"He's not dead. Nice trick." Weapon fully primed, Kono was staring at a defiant Frank Curtis whose hands were raised above his head. "Look who's here."

Bleeding from a crease in his temple and one on his shoulder, Curtis's eyes remained cold and calculating despite his now lost cause. Perplexed by the man's supposed return from the grave, Steve and Kono shared a quick glance.

There was movement behind them as Chin entered the house to offer assistance. He had left the two injured men near the van under close guard by three of the SWAT team members. The look on his face proved his surprise too at seeing the supposedly deceased mobster. Chin was about to question it when he felt a large presence physically brush passed his right shoulder to knock him slightly off-balance.

Then, he was too slow. In fact, everyone was too slow as Frank's hand dropped to a place low near his back. Near a small spare weapon he kept hidden because he would not be taken into custody again.

"Don't." Kono's warning was ignored just as a single shot echoed in the room from somewhere to their left and Frank Curtis gave out with a startled wounded gasp. He stood rocking in place before gripping a spot just above his heart where a small red dot began to spread out across his dress shirt. His eyes were actually honestly stunned for a change; then confused as he stared at Kono who hadn't moved an inch. Steve whirled around with his weapon drawn once more from Curtis to the possible new threat, and his mouth fell open in surprise.

"What!" She lowered her weapon as the criminal sagged and his weapon fell from nerveless fingers. "Who did that .. who fired?"

From her astonished face, Frank Curtis's eyes met another pair which relayed an unspoken fury. His knees were beginning to buckle and eyes were already glazing over when they tracked one final time to the small pistol Doctor Ramirez was still holding, aimed unerringly at his chest.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **my thanks to CinderH for beta-ing each and EVERY crazy chapter and offering suggestions - even at the last minute, by the muse who then demands yet even more changes when least expected and on my part! And Jazzie for the occasional "what have I done?" conversation when the bad muse takes off and running! Of course thanks to you all for the ever constant reviews. :-) Yes, I am behind AGAIN and I am very sorry. I will try to correct that this weekend.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 10**

In the hills, Danny and Becca heard the delayed first reports of gunfire first. As worn out as he was, the loud echoed report of a shot-gun had Danny grinning tiredly. He nearly laughed when the second report echoed on the growing breeze.

"Chin's arrived." He muttered softly. That knowledge was his absolute excuse to stop their ascent for good behind a large boulder and just below the shelter of heavy jungle vines. Becca was shivering from the increasing chill in the air and trying to hide the fact that her wrist was achy. Danny was shivering too not only from the chill, but from sheer exhaustion and pain from his injuries. Adrenalin was gone and only having Becca by in his care was keeping him more aware than he likely should have been. Sinking down to his knees, he used the boulder as a prop and then pulled Becca under his good right arm. From their vantage point, they could see the sporadic light from muzzle fire and after the natural acoustical delay, hear the reports echoing up.

"What .. did I tell you?" Danny whispered more from weakness than from a real need to be quiet. His head was pounding to the beat of his heart which in turn affected his breathing to pull on his injured rib and gunshot wound. Each fueled the other and he was becoming incredibly tired.

"It's Uncle Steve … and real help … because … you were so darn smart about … that cell phone." So relieved for a moment, Danny closed his eyes after his words came out on a few short exhales. However, mesmerized by the almost surreal sight, Becca didn't answer the compliment at all. Almost in a daze, she wrapped her arms gently around his waist while she watched the sparkle of lights. It was scary and exciting all at once.

"Are they okay?" She asked, with a voice which was small and worried.

"Yeah." Danny suddenly found himself down to near monosyllabic replies suddenly. His mind was planning what they would do next once the scene was under control. But he knew that he'd have major issues simply getting up from where he was leaning, let alone back down to the compound. Becca sensed the rising trouble as she gave him a gentle squeeze.

"I can go back down." She whispered bravely. "Bring back help?" But Danny only tightened his hug in response.

"No." There was zero chance that he'd ever allow her to traipse back down the dark hilly and now very slick bit of jungle they'd just conquered. The misty drizzle was changing and he would also would never risk her life with the men below - regardless if Steve had arrived - just in case. There was always a '_just in case_'.

"No." He repeated firmly under his breath. "No. Stick .. together."

"Okay." Becca was torn but she obeyed his soft commands. She quieted with a strong shiver as the mist became a more real rain and cradled her bruised wrist. Looking up at him from where she was tucked under his arm, she was afraid of his partially opened eyes and very pale complexion. His shivering was also more like a bad shaking as muscles became more fatigued and objected to even remaining vertical while leaning up against the boulder.

The two stayed together as the rain intensified and the muzzle flashes eventually stopped. When the house lights flickered on and lit up the distant area below them, Danny finally spoke again. Moving in and out of the light from house and yard, he could just make out silhouettes. The house had been over-run and help had definitely arrived.

His voice was hoarse and barely audible, but totally pleased by what he knew had happened. "It's over, Becca. Let's go back."

If asked, Danny didn't know how he accomplished the return route down the hilly, slick landscape in the pitch darkness. Side by side, he and Becca slipped and slid helping each other on the way; perhaps, Becca taking more slack than her small frame might be able to truly handle. Worried for Danny, she was still mostly happy and the activity not only kept her a bit warmer, but brought her closer home. But Danny was near spastic with pain and exhaustion; barely on his feet, each step was becoming a repetitive nightmare which jarred his head and he'd begun to breathe raggedly through his mouth. Only Becca's warm presence and his responsibility in getting her back to her own family kept him going.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

On the opposite end, Steve had organized Kono and the men to begin searching the neighboring jungle. Frank Curtis was dead and the three had very mixed emotions about what had happened in the house. Higgins was confused by the event when Steve quietly explained in more detail what had happened.

Professionally concerned by a civilian's actions in the midst of a takedown, but understanding the big doctor's emotional state, the SWAT leader remained quiet. He didn't doubt that Curtis would have been shot by a valid team member based on what he'd attempted - but that in itself, was the point.

After the shooting, Ponch had discharged the remains of the clip to the floor, opened the chamber and thumped the weapon firmly into Chin's chest. Higgins had entered when the two men were toe to toe. Chin still uncertain of how to proceed and Doctor Ramirez telling him blatantly that he would willingly accept the charges and be arrested later … _only after_ .. he got his niece safely back home.

While Higgins and the rest of Five-0 watched in amazement, Chin had taken Ponch's weapon and Steve had come down on the big man in a worried outpouring of remorseful words; all of which was irrelevant. Because regardless of what might come, Ponch was distinctly not remorseful for what he'd done.

"What are we going to do?" Kono asked Chin as the doctor stubbornly followed Steve across the brightly lit yard to begin the search. "I would have taken Curtis out .. I should have taken him out .. I'd be justified. I swear he was just faster."

The issue remained that the doctor had been faster and now his bullet lay inside the mobster's chest. The explanation would be difficult at best and there would be major repercussions and likely disciplinary action for all of them.

"I should have realized he'd be right up here once the shooting stopped." Heaving out a loud puff of air, Chin had his hands on his hips. He'd practically forgotten about placing the doctor in a safe place below the action. Chin was kicking himself now for not cutting the big man off immediately instead of coming to the house himself.

"I don't know. Doc's far from sorry about it, too. And honestly, I don't blame him one bit for what's happened to his family."

Shelving the issue for later, Chin and Kono joined Steve to finalize the next plans to find Danny and Rebecca. Chin was instructed to remain behind with three of the SWAT team members to keep Curtis's remaining men firmly under lock and key while communicating status back to HPD Central. Demands needed to be made for waiting ambulances and more plans needed to be put into action to get everyone safely back down the terrible so-called roadway. Leaving Chin to manage that end of the rendezvous, Steve had already assigned grid-like sections for the rest of the members of the team to fan out to conduct their search.

With the damage already done, Ponch had adamantly refused to stay behind declaring that a search and rescue was safe enough for him to participate in. They could charge him and place him in custody later for all he cared; but he made it clear that he would fight them tooth and nail if they tried to stop him at that point. Reluctantly, Steve agreed as he permitted the doctor to tag along with himself and Kono.

The three took a route that Steve considered to be the most likely option. It was raining more heavily now and the terrain had become even more treacherous and awkward to navigate. Nearly twenty minutes in, he stopped them with one hand held high as he peered through the trees and up higher into the jungle.

"You see them?" Ponch asked as he desperately tried to see.

"There. I think ... maybe?" Holding the night vision goggles to his eyes, Steve breathlessly watched the dark shadows to eventually make out Danny's shape and a smaller one walking off-balance and hunched through the trees. Each had their own pair of the special equipment and with a startled gasp, Ponch followed his hand and finally spied the tell-tale shapes too.

"It's them." Steve confirmed and then notified the rest of the teams to hold their positions. Dimly, he heard the others seconding his demand from their search areas; all were now waiting for a final rescue and anxious for success. Stuck in place with Doctor Ramirez breathing heavily down his neck, Steve fisted the doctor's shirt to keep him from advancing too soon up the slippery and virtually non-existent trail.

Prevented from doing what he wanted, Ponch took in a lungful of air to shout out both their names. He was seriously frightened when they didn't respond. It took Steve's simple explanation for the anxious doctor to understand.

"They're not as close as you think and they won't hear us through the wind and rain. The storm's really picked up." Groaning under his breath, Steve tried to survey the slope, but it all looked the same. Simply bad. Making a decision that looked to at least intercept his partner at a closer juncture, he pointed and began walking.

"This way. Let's try and meet them ... find a better way down." Keeping an eye upwards, the three clambered closer using both flashlights and goggles as the rain continued to mercilessly pound the trees and ferns around them.

Breaking through an open space where the rain only pelted them harder, the three began a careful jog over the wet ground, all the while keeping an eye on the wavering pair. Even for the distance and heavy jungle above, when they could make them out, it was obvious that Danny was in real trouble.

"Medical bag." Ponch was out of breath as he narrowed his eyes through the rain. Danny had just stumbled badly and the two had stopped for a brief moment to rest before shuffling forward again. "I have everything .. in my backpack … here."

Steve didn't answer more than a brief guttural sound of approval. He'd seen Danny nearly fall as well; he could see the pure struggle now as Danny tried to make it back down. In the back of his mind, Steve was shocked that he'd gotten away so far in the condition he was in with the child.

Then he gritted his teeth in frustration when Kono verbalized it for them all. "How ever did they get this far? So .. fast?"

Obviously - and as he well knew - his partner could do quite a bit when he put his mind to it; including take on deep jungle in the middle of the night. It was also obvious that they'd gone far, but only far enough to keep the house in sight should help come. The only reason Danny would be attempting the return trip now was due to an awareness of their arrival. He knew the stand-off had ended and that the good guys were in control.

"Smart, smart, smart." Steve mumbled to himself. But the doll and the pins still took the cake in his opinion. Next to his shoulder, he sensed Ponch's mutual amazement at the feat which had rescued his niece and then kept her wholly safe from even more danger.

"Hey! Danny!" They were close now and Steve tried again. But his eyes widened in a moment of fear as Danny stumbled once more, and this time fell to a knee.

"Danny!" He and Rebecca were close to a steep water-soaked slope; Steve could just make out Becca's frightened shivering body as she tried to help his partner to his feet and failed. They seemed to be talking .. at least Becca was .. and pointing in their direction. He frowned worriedly about what that could mean if Becca was the one so much more aware.

"Steve." Kono warned as she began to light up the foot of the incline on their fast approach. "They can't get down this alone!"

Shouting even louder, Steve's voice boomed up to the near-stranded pair. He was only slightly relieved when Becca again pointed in their direction. She was almost tugging on Danny but he wasn't actually responding. And it was his partner's attention Steve also wanted as he seemed to try vainly to get to his feet but literally collapsed into a seated position.

"Kono, try to light up the slope for us." Steve sensed Ponch getting ready next to him when he heard the sharp intake of fearful breath. With a loud shout, Steve tried once more to make Danny simply stay where he was.

"Danny! Stay where you are … we're coming up!"

But it wasn't Danny he had needed to worry about. In slow motion, Steve watched him weakly reach out one plaintive hand for Rebecca who had backed away from him. Still seated, he watched as Danny's upper body swayed in her direction before pitching forward to the ground and just out of view. Simultaneously, Becca was moving as if to take on the steep slope herself.

"No .. she's not!" Stunned at what his niece was about to do, Ponch had his own hands out-stretched and then no time to shout a command for her to wait because she was already in motion. He watched in horror as she seemed to intentionally size up her first step. Crouching low on her heels, she teetered on the lip of the hill before making her move only to slip immediately onto her bottom.

There was a startled yelp as her small muddy slip quickly became an uncontrollable, rain-slicked slide. "Rebecca!"

Surging forward, the two men lunged for the hill. One to intercept a small tumbling child and the other aiming for the top.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **so ummm …. this was a short chapter … at first. REALLY SHORT. Then, well .. things happened. *sigh* BTW - **Thor** is a GREAT movie! Loki is THE best! Gotta love the baddie sometimes.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 11**

Alone except for the child he cuddled under one arm, Danny tried to insist on ducking her head into his side as they walked so she wouldn't see what had been going on around the house. But as they walked, Danny realized that they had gone farther into the jungle than he had first thought. Slowly, he softened his hold and Becca peeked out from his body with a dirty, tear-stained face. She moved away just a bit to see better, but kept a firm hold of his hand for all she was worth.

"Almost." Danny murmured more for himself as he careened a few feet in the dark and down a sloppy uneven bit of mud and slippery rocks. As they descended, they lost view of the house though both of them were sure they were headed in the correct direction. Despite her wrist, Becca was working hard to help but having trouble too as the rain worsened. It was nearly impossible to see, difficult to walk in a straight line, and Danny was stumbling over feet that refused to cooperate.

"Uncle Danny?" Becca was tearful as she tried to hold him up. She got even more upset when he didn't answer at all. They had finally made it to one last steep portion when they had to stop for two reasons; one, the slope seemed to be a mammoth obstacle and two … Danny blinked dizzily and simply … stopped moving. At the top, Becca didn't know what to do when Danny swayed uncontrollably and then fell to one knee with a pained exhale.

"Uncle Danny? How do we get down?" Leaning against his shoulder, Becca had become afraid again when he didn't reply. Then she heard Steve's faint shouts and peering down below, finally saw the bobbing flashlights.

"Look! They found us!" Becca nearly cried in relief as she tugged vainly at Danny's arm for him to look or say something. "Uncle Steve is here! But .. how do we get down?" What was hard to do before the rain, now looked insurmountable to the little girl from so high above. Impossible and terribly frightening as Danny collapsed wearily to a seated position.

"Uncle Danny, you have to get up." Trying not to hurt him, Becca tugged on his arm and then pulled on his shoulder. "Please .. get up now. They're here."

"Danny!" Steve shouted once up to the high shelf when he saw his partner's shape wobble and fall. "Danny! Stay where you are … we're coming up!"

Frowning at the commands which he finally seemed to register deeply in his foggy brain, Danny heard his name from faraway and could only look queerly at Rebecca. Her hair was lank and dripping from the rain, yet she was excited and upset at the same time.

"Happ'n'd?" Danny whispered weakly, with a dazed expression. His frown deepened when he realized he was literally sitting on the cold wet ground, in an even colder rain. He anchored his elbow to his side because it suddenly hurt not only to take in each shallow breath, but also to merely turn his head to look at the little girl. To make matters worse, Rebecca was standing next to him with far too much energy and nearly vibrating impatiently in place.

"What?" Danny groaned through his discomfort as he wiped both water and a sickly sweat from his eyes."Becca?"

"It's Uncle Steve." She read his confusion and then promptly explained. "He's real close, so can I go to him? Please? He's so close, Uncle Danny ... I can see him and we need help."

"Uncle Danny!" Her frightened whine made his eyes snap open. Not knowing when they had closed, he was stunned when Becca shook his arm. "Huh?' The urgent motion rattled his head and he groaned out one other word with a wince. "What?"

"It's Uncle Steve!" She was pointing wildly to a point below them where three darkly clad shapes were approaching. "Look!" With effort, he saw the flashlights glistening through the rain and thought he might recognize Kono's slender frame. It wasn't much of a stretch to assume that Steve might be another.

"Oh.' He breathed out realizing that he had checked out for a long time. With Becca's continued urgings, his mind caught up and began to shout_ 'yes, go - but be careful', _however his mouth refused to work.

"I think Aunt Kono is here, too." Rebecca was beginning to cry again when he still didn't say more or tell her what to do next. Her face screwed up into a tight look as his eyes closed briefly and so, she bravely made a decision. "Just like you said - they're here - they came for us. So .. so … I'm going."

Pulling out of his grip, Becca made her very own decision. She gave Danny a quick kiss on the cheek and then it seemed as if she simply disappeared over the edge. Alarmed, Danny choked out a warning for fear she had hurt herself, but he only fell weakly to his side. A short second later, he heard her startled almost distant cry, but was wholly unable to move at that point.

Below them, Ponch and Steve were now lunging half-way up the slope as Kono shone a light to illuminate Becca on the muddy, steep grade.

"Rebecca!" Her uncle was jolted into action as he gauged her rapid fall and purposefully aimed for her. On her way down, Becca fell once and then twice as she tried to vainly gain some traction by using her heels and one good hand. Picking up speed, she was now skidding scarily down on her bottom with a tidal flood of mud, twigs and vines that grabbed at her. She screeched in fear as the slide almost became a tumble but she was suddenly halted by two big, strong arms. She yelped in surprise at that as her stunned round eyes met her Uncle's and she fell into him with a final squeak.

"Ow!" The force of the sudden stop took her breath away and jarred her painful wrist at the same time. The expression on the face of the man who caught her was nearly as frightened as her own as he gripped her small shoulders and realized that she was essentially fine. With another gasp, Becca's bottom lip began to tremble as she picked at the man's coat because she had only seen Steve and maybe Kono; she hadn't recognized the big, shapeless rain-coated man as her uncle.

"Uncle Ponch! You came .. too." The tremble continued as all the tension fled her body and she fell trustingly into him. Still trying to speak, Becca stuttered jaggedly through her tears. "You're here. Just like .. Uncle Danny .. said."

"Rebecca. Did he now?" On his knees in the mud, he used his sheer size to keep from moving further in any direction. But Ponch couldn't stand it a moment longer as he softly said her name, wondered about Danny, and then hugged her to his chest. Her legs and arms wrapped firmly around his body and she began to sob.

"Becca. My little sprite! Of course, I came too." Flipping around now to sit on the steep grade too, Ponch tucked her even more tightly into his arms to begin a rapid but calculated descent back to Kono. Muffled cries of '_Uncle Ponch'_ were repeated over and over into his raincoat and he couldn't wait to get to more stable ground to check her out more closely. Rebecca was sobbing openly and clinging tightly to him with all her might and he had no intention of ever letting her go. Still worried for Danny though, Ponch glanced once towards Steve who was well past him. Digging his fingers into mud and then grabbing at rocks, vines and anything he could use to haul himself up, Steve was clearly intent on going all the way to the top for his partner.

"I'll be back." Ponch croaked over his shoulder and through a tight throat meaning for Danny. But Steve wasn't sure the man would be able to part from the obviously upset little girl and frankly, he couldn't blame him.

"No. Stay below and check her out." With a brief glance, Steve made the demand as he continued on. He was out of breath and layered in mud when he finally reached the top with one last solid heave where he landed on his knees next to Danny's head.

"Danno?" Steve gasped as he gently wiped rain-drenched hair back from the heated, bruised forehead. Bending down, Steve saw the cut on his cheek, the bloody bruise near his temple and still knew that a gunshot wound lay somewhere in his partner's side. Now, finally under Steve's hands and only semi-conscious, Danny's was still in trouble as he lay shivering on the ground with a face that was creased in pain.

Exhausted beyond belief, Danny sensed Steve's presence before he could open his eyes; even before he could hear him. The nearly sudden change from Rebecca to a larger and more intimidating force displaced much of the air space around him. The activity was different. The sense of urgency was palpable even in the dark. What forced him to finally pry his eyes open was the warmth of the larger hand and the firmer fingers which practically covered his neck down to his collarbone.

"Danno? Can you hear me?" Ripping off his gloves, Steve anxiously buried his fingers in Danny's neck looking for a pulse because for one startling second, he still thought the worst. Steve was shocked though when Danny's eyes blinked slowly open. He was even more stunned when Danny feebly tried to use one hand to climb up him in order to stand. "Take it easy, Danny. What are you trying to do?"

"Steve?" Weak and ill, Danny barely got back to his seated position with Steve's reluctant help while mumbling one-worded demands. "Becca."

"Hey! We got her .. Ponch has her. But what exactly are you trying to do? Just wait a minute and let me take a look at you." Danny's eyes were glassy and his face was lined with a mixture of pain, fever and a bone-weary numbness. Steve breathed in every square inch of his damaged partner trying to figure out where the worst injuries lay hidden but it was near impossible to see in the poor light and for his ruined clothing. So relieved that he and Becca were safe from Curtis, Steve's eyes were filled with unshed tears as he held both of Danny's arms to keep him quiet.

"Careful." Danny hissed as Steve accidentally jarred his ribs. " Help .. up."" A groan behind gritted teeth had Steve freezing in place but Danny was still feebly grasping for purchase. The truth was everything hurt and yet he needed the contact as he grappled for Steve's arms.

"Sorry .. Danny .. where? Just wait one minute .. let me see." Searching carefully, Steve felt it then ... the sticky wetness that clung by his right hand where Danny's shirt hem caught his fingers. The poorly applied bandage was long gone and the gunshot wound had been opened again. Hurriedly, Steve gently tried to see more but Danny's shaky hand prevented his quick investigation. Stopped again and assuming that his partner wasn't truly aware, Steve shook his head in frustration.

"Easy, Danny. I need to see this." He was wasting time and with a full-fledged medical doctor at their disposal, Steve decided on another course of action. "Okay, fine. Doc's below and he's going to help get you fixed up and then .. it's the hospital for you."

"No .. wait." Danny wobbled and swallowed hard as if trying to find the energy to speak. Brow knit with a fixed determination he held tightly to Steve's hand like a life-line. For a brief second, he quieted and blinked as if trying to remember what he wanted to say or do. His erratic breathing added to Steve's growing consternation as Danny's mouth opened yet not a sound came out.

"Alright, Danny. That's enough for now; we need to go." Trying reason, Steve firmly gripped Danny's arms in preparation to leave. His partner was all over the place and not making sense. Almost nose to nose with him as the rain poured down, Steve attempted to explain what was happening. "You're hurt, buddy, and we have to find a way to get you down safely."

For a long moment there was silence as Danny tried to gather his thoughts and he felt Steve reposition his hands on his arms. Oddly, the overwhelming sound of the storm was almost distracting and he could barely find the words to ask the right questions. Closing his eyes briefly, he took a deep breath before gazing directly into Steve's tightly pensive face. "Mike. I need to know."

He should have known that his partner was still thinking about everyone else … despite his own predicament .. and Steve loosed his hold to gently rub at Danny's arms, more worried than ever when he felt the coldness seeping through his skin. Guessing where he was going, Steve was already shaking his head in reply. "He's in the hospital .. which is where we need to get you."

"But .. is .. Mike okay?" However, another deep breath followed before Danny insisted upon completing the sentence. "Mike? Is he .. dead?" The tone was full of anxiety and Steve smiled in an attempt to reassure him**.**

"No, he's alive. Mike's alive and in the ICU." There was no return smile, just a slight clearing of Danny's eyes as he absorbed the news before forging ahead with another thing that he needed to know. His mouth gaped open and he shook his head which caused to Steve to scowl in annoyance. "Talk later, Danny. Let's move."

"Wait." Danny recognized the constipated expression. He could see that Steve's frustration was mounting by the severe look he was receiving, yet he had one more question. "Grace."

The tremble was increasing from a fine subtle feeling to a more violent shaking. The pending collapse was coming on strong and Steve grasped his arms firmly while he looked over his shoulder to size up the difficulty of their descent as Danny continued to urgently whisper. He needed to get him down so that he got at least some interim medical care and not answer such a prolonged series of questions. From below, he could hear Kono calling to them and asking what was taking so long now. They all needed to leave and get back to the main house.

"She's fine, too, Danno." It wasn't enough though and Steve grumbled unhappily under his breath. Even in the dark, Danny was too pale and Steve could virtually feel the tension through his fingers.

"Steve. I really need .. to know because .. they said .. _he said _.. Curtis promised she was ..._she_ was ... _here_." It took everything out of him to further explain himself. Danny's voice faded to a murmur on the last few words as a smudgy grayness began to seep into the frayed edges of his vision. Barely able to focus on Steve's face, Danny was determined to express himself and hear a complete answer. A full and unabridged answer even though Becca had told him the truth. Danny suddenly needed to be sure and his frantic pain-filled eyes met Steve's which finally spilled over as he nodded again.

"Yes. Yes, she's fine and safely with Ellen. They never saw her or got to her, Danny. I promise you that she's fine. She stayed hidden in the house the entire time after calling both 911 … then me. I took care of her myself and now she's staying safely with Ellen until we get you back home." Steve's fingers tightened involuntarily as Danny sagged under his hands and into the mud. Instead of allowing him to slip all the way back down, Steve pulled him into a careful seated hug. Though it hurt, the move gave Danny the opportunity to regain some of his fading balance by returning the grateful embrace.

"Okay." Danny managed a soft ghosted smile then. He was exhausted and freezing, but now ready to go even as he fought a wave of dizziness. "Help .. Steve. Get me .. up."

Weakly taking Steve's hand, Danny demanded it again and this time, Steve heaved him carefully but firmly to his feet. In fact, they didn't have too much of a choice .. at least until they got down to Kono and Ponch. Firmly holding Danny's weight to his chest, Steve still apologized for what they had to do to get down.

"I'm sorry, Danny. There's no other way. Can you hang on a little longer?" Below them, Kono was still using two flashlights to seek out a better path, but they had no options. Knees almost refusing to lock, Danny rested against Steve while blearily staring at the small group below.

"I can .. do this, Steven." He was so close and needed to stay on his feet. Not actually convincing even himself, Danny murmured again as Steve took more of his weight. "I can. Yeah … I can."

"You got it, Danno. Let me do all the work, though." His voice was rough in Danny's ear as he turned his back to carefully face uphill. Arm in arm, and being bodily assisted, the two began the descent. Following Ponch's example, Steve used his body as a veritable wall to manage a somewhat controlled mud-filled slide downwards. Stopping a few times, he kept Danny close to him and propped up against his chest to avoid the worst of any rocks and badly uneven ground as they slipped their way back.

Below them, Ponch and Kono watched as the two started to slowly make their way down. Still in her Uncle's arms but now wearing her own oversized raincoat, Becca was also wrapped partly under the huge coat he wore. She watched too, to be sure Danny made it down to them, but was scared each time she saw the two begin to slip more on the steep grade.

"Uncle Ponch .. he's hurt .. bad." Becca murmured in a small frightened voice when Steve unexpectedly went down hard on both knees and Danny gasped in pain. The two needed help and the doctor was suddenly letting her down to stand on her own two feet and giving her instructions. He had made a bad face over her bruised wrist, but she was too tired to worry if he was really angry. Keeping her hand tucked up to her chest now, Becca nodded in agreement.

"Can you stay with Aunt Kono, sprite?" Making sure her coat was on and her bad wrist was protected, Ponch began to clamber up the slope to meet Steve halfway. With Danny nearly dead weight and groaning in pain from every jarring motion, Steve's arms were straining by the time Ponch was able to get closer.

"Just a little more, Danny. We're here .. we're here." Steve encouraged breathlessly until he felt the additional hands joining in to better manage their dangerous descent. Seated, on bent knees or sliding down on a cocked hip, the two men anchored Danny between them to combat the muddy slope. Moments later, they were all safely down but Danny had his eyes tightly closed from the exhausting painful effort. He moaned in relief as he was held up between the big man and Steve while Kono hastily draped another spare raincoat over his his back. He was far from warm, however every small courtesy provided a much appreciated layer of protection.

"Hey, Danny." She whispered softly. "Time to go home."

Dimly, he realized Steve had slung his right arm over his neck and he was ever so gently, but firmly fisting Danny's belt with his left hand. Looking down, Danny wasn't sure his toes were even touching the ground. He also realized that the big doctor had moved around to the front of him and was studying him closely. Utterly worn out and wondering exactly when the man had shown up, the detective blearily blinked and stared almost dumbly at his face.

"Doc." Danny managed to whisper the faint hello and essentially failed. The weakness of his voice prompted an immediate non-verbal exchange between Steve and Ponch who were both frowning worriedly over his head.

"Detective." With his apprehension growing as he mentally catalogued what he saw, Ponch studied Danny to get a handle on the severity of the injuries. By habit, his concern at first sparked his use of Danny's title and then Ponch changed gears as he gently palpitated the bruised cheek and wound on his temple. He sighed under his breath about the obvious fever and yet the cold, clammy skin. "Danny? How on earth..?"

From where he stood and what he could see, Danny was clearly in shock and if not for Steve, soon to sit down for good. Actually for a very long, long time. His face was stern and worried as he quickly and efficiently checked Danny's glazed eyes and the messy gunshot wound near what he could gently feel was a cracked rib. The injured man had a sick heat radiating off his body and Ponch could practically hear the ragged respiration as he manually took Danny's pulse and noticed the broken fingers on his left hand.

The noise that Steve made when he also saw the swollen fingers and dual bruised wrists was unrecognizable. It communicated anger and then astonishment of what Danny had overcome to keep Rebecca safe. Talking over his bowed head, Ponch met Steve's eyes with a very serous expression because those were his identical thoughts. "He's exhausted … badly concussed; maybe a skull fracture and I need to get him to a better place; somewhere were I can run an IV and get him stabilized."

Clearly worried by Ponch's fast assessment, Steve waited for him to offer support on Danny's opposite side. Breathing hard now and clearly fading, Danny was barely paying attention to what they were deciding on his behalf. The doctor indicated that they should carry him between them and Steve nodded in reply.

"Let's get you home, Danny. Grace is waiting for you." Offering words of encouragement, Steve moved to cross arms with Ponch while Kono showed the way with flashlights in one hand and Becca in the other. Only vaguely aware, Danny moved one foot without waiting for his friends to carry him. He tried to budge his foot one tiny inch but that was as far as they all got.

"Thank you." Just a whisper that only Steve heard as Danny's head limply fell to meet his shoulder. A deep seated feeling of dizziness coursed through Danny's body as he lost sight of the big doctor. The feeling took his breath away as he lost every remaining ounce of strength he might have had left. The thanks were meant for Grace, for Becca and even for himself; it was laced with an unfathomable depth of pure exhaustion and then Danny's legs did buckle.

Completely and without apology.

"Nonono! Danny!" Steve and Ponch nearly went down together on the muddy trail with Danny sagging miserably between them. He completely collapsed and lost touch with the here and now as the two men only paused to pull their friend up into a proper, two-man seated carry.

Communicating their status rapidly, Kono advised the teams of their return and need for help. Higgins confirmed that he and his men were already on their way to meet them to assist. Holding tightly to her hand, Becca's eyes were huge and she'd begun to whimper quietly about Danny.

"Hang on tight, Becca." Rather than worrying about her being able to keep up, Kono swung the exhausted little girl up into her arms while still using the flashlights with her free hand. "Hang on to me real tight!"

"Move, now." With his own look of thanks for Kono's determination, Ponch growled out the final command as the group anxiously started back at a faster pace.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes**: another chapter that "wasn't planned" - what can I say - when the saber toothed bunny wins .. he wins big! The bunny is picky too - so despite demands, threats of whips, and either withholding or the excessive feeding of carrots, this did take some time to feel 'right'. And still there were doubts.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 12**

Instead of Higgins, the struggling quartet were met by Chin and two members of the SWAT team who insisted upon switching hands with Ponch and Steve. Almost reluctantly, Becca went to Chin because he intervened before her uncle could reach her first. The older man would never admit to being chilled to the bone and wrung out himself. Covered in mud, Steve was equally uncomfortable as he shook his arms out from stress and strained muscular kinks.

"It's time to take you home, keiki." With a huge smile, Chin easily swung Rebecca up into his arms already careful of the wrist she held in front of her. With the additional help, they all made it back to the big house in less than fifteen minutes and marched right passed the main living room. Seeking equal refuge, those now coming back made a bee-line towards the bedrooms and rear of the house to offer a distinct separation. There in the master bedroom, Danny was stripped of his wet clothes, bundled into dry blankets and propped up on a multitude of pillows. He never roused during the process which was being somewhat duplicated in the bathroom for Becca with Kono.

Curtis's body was duly draped with a large sheet in the corner of the living room where he'd died. Except for Warren Hicks who was situated on his back and unconscious from Higgins' skilled marksmanship, the remaining criminals were lined up along the sofa: cuffed, triaged as necessary, and heavily guarded.

According to Chin and now confirmed by Higgins, the stormy squall would continue for a few more hours. It was just after two o'clock in the morning and the narrow road in to the home was too dangerous to navigate in the rain and for the likely occurrence of mud slides. No one wanted to walk out in the middle of the night, especially with injured prisoners either. So, the team had organized retrieval by helicopter in the morning and was in communication not only with their home offices, but also Special Agent Jim Marcus and members of the local FBI who were continuing to wait at the original rally point to offer support when needed.

"I bet they want our boys here. Why else would the FBI stay down there over night?" Higgins comment softly to Chin about the felons in custody. "It's quite the embarrassment to have Curtis declared deceased and yet ... be so much alive to reconnoiter with these jokers. They've been planning this kidnapping for a while based on what we found in the house. Possibly even a full month."

Chin grunted in agreement. Though, he actually did approve of the added support down below not only due to the situation with Curtis, but also because of the storm and their rescued injured friends. Jim Marcus was a reliable man and a worthy peer. Though distant, his desire to help was genuine and it added a calming layer of protection to an otherwise strange set of circumstances as they all hunkered down rather disagreeably together.

"Well .. he's gone now." Chin affirmed in regard to Curtis. "Everything else can be worked out."

Leaning against the door frame, Higgins seemed subdued and almost sad. "About that .. with the doctor .. can that also be worked out?"

He didn't mean to sound severe or disrespectful, and it was a very reasonable question for which Chin had no answer. The question of Curtis's mysterious key was also open and Chin wondered if the FBI had uncovered anything in their own case files or evidence lockers; because now, there was a strong chance they might not ever discover its secret. Leaving Higgins to watch over those in custody, Chin was thoughtful as he walked away to check on Danny.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

What everyone had missed because of the organized hectic activity as both officers and felons took shelter from the wind and storm, was one little girl's reaction to re-entering the large home. The decision to stay the night was made of necessity and the rear rooms provided a somewhat solitary place where the doctor could examine Danny and where both he and Becca might rest. However, the plan was not sitting well with the little girl even while standing in the master bedroom's large bathroom. Even amongst the real safety of her uncle and all the police officers. Even with all the lights being turned on brightly and for being in a completely different room that she hadn't seen before.

Feeling oddly trapped, Becca felt the lump in her throat growing as tears began to fill her eyes. She was staring at her bare toes while Kono rubbed her gently down, always mindful of the achy wrist. A few seconds later, there was a tiny sniffle as a tear got loose down her cheek.

"Becca?" Toweling the little girl's hair dry after wrapping a bulky warm blanket around her shoulders, Kono was surprised to hear the soft sob. "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" She asked worriedly.

"I don't want to be here." Becca blurted truthfully while rending the blanket in one hand. "Not here …. and, not in there." She meant the small spare bedroom in particular and Kono completely understood the nervous dread.

"He's here too." That statement came out as a petrified whisper as Becca's eyes glistened.

"Actually." Thinking fast, Kono shrugged dramatically because technically it was the truth. "He actually isn't .. quite here .. anymore. And he won't be coming back ever again."

Those almost conspiratorial words made Becca frown in confusion though Kono had a content, happy quirk to her lips. "Really? The other men are." Becca softly argued.

They had passed the living room and Chin had ducked her head away, but she had easily sensed the volume of people. Mostly officers with guns and she knew the bad men were being guarded because of the bad weather. "Where is he then?" She asked cautiously.

"Just. Gone. You don't need to worry about it." Kono breezily said as she finger-combed Becca's still damp hair away from her face. "Listen. I know you don't like being here, but the storm is real bad right now and it's too dangerous to leave. How would you like a ride in a helicopter in the morning?"

Even tired and wanting to go home, Rebecca's eyes grew at that offer. "Oh." She breathed out just a bit more interested. "Really?"

To seal the deal, Kono nodded with another smile. "Really .. with Uncle Danny. It will fly directly to the roof of the hospital where your Aunt Ellen will be waiting. "

"And daddy?" The soft loss of her smile was quickly covered up and Kono nodded with just a bit less vigor. "He's at the hospital and resting."

Becca's very serious eyes stared unflinchingly now into Kono's face and the officer stroked her hair soothingly. "Your Uncle Ponch will know more. But I do know that your father is resting and as of this very minute, your Aunt Ellen is with him. So he's safe, too."

"Okay." The unspoken understanding of what really Kono meant was written all over Rebecca's face. It was almost too mature and Kono stood up from her kneeling position in an effort to change the touchy subject.

"Well, then. Let's go see what's going on. Your uncle wants to check out your wrist, anyway. After that … you are going to take a nice, long nap and then we'll be leaving before you know it." Fixing the blanket more warmly around her, Kono simply picked Becca up and strode purposefully into the master bedroom where both Chin and Steve were watching Doctor Ramirez. Having ransacked the linen closet, a multitude of filthy, wet towels were tossed to the floor having been used to wipe down the mud and cold water from Danny's body.

A row of butterfly bandages now traced the cut on Danny's cheek and a clean, white bandage covered the head wound. With Steve's help, the doctor had just done his best to clean the gunshot wound to apply a proper pressure bandage around which he had wrapped reams of gauze to also support the fractured rib. A mild aggrieved sigh was heard as Ponch now focused on the two broken fingers and what he thought might be at least one small broken bone in the back of Danny's hand.

An intravenous line was running into Danny's opposite arm and Steve was holding the fluids in one hand, while lurking over Ponch's head. With some relief, Kono saw that Danny was decidedly more at peace and much of the violent shivering had finally ceased. He looked warm and even comfortable amongst cleaner bedding and a pile of blankets.

"His blood pressure is low." Having braced the hand, Ponch had moved on to another check of Danny's vital signs and he informed the friends of the results as he removed his stethoscope from his ears. He would leave the blood pressure cuff around Danny's bicep for future readings. "Respiration is a bit labored; I wish we had oxygen here."

Ponch sat quietly on the edge of the bed and considered other treatments, but in truth, he had done everything he could for the detective. "Well." Ponch sighed audibly before tiredly rubbing both hands over his own face. But then he stayed there longer, fussing over bandages and bruises; then focusing his attention once more on Danny's broken fingers and injured hand.

It took a few more minutes for the doctor to decide that he had truly done enough. When he did, he suddenly rose to his feet only to push Steve to sit where he had just been. "Stay here with him. I need to see Rebecca. If he wakes and is confused, or has any kind of a problem ... call me."

Assuming that she was still in the bathroom cleaning up, Ponch turned to see his niece smiling at him from Kono's arms. "Becca. Time to check you out for real." All of his terseness melted as he pointed to the large wing-backed chair in the corner of the bedroom. "How about you and Aunt Kono sit here so I can take a look?"

Balancing her on a knee, Kono sat where instructed so that Ponch could examine Becca's bruised wrist. Kneeling down in front of her, he was very serious as he palpitated the wrist and each small finger. The attention made Becca very serious too as she watched him gently poke and prod the sensitive area.

"Nothing seems broken." Ponch declared with evident relief. Badly bruised and even a bit scraped, he slathered the area with a cool antiseptic cream and wrapped it with bandages. Then he stared at the scrape on her cheek and frowned angrily. More cream and a small bandage soon followed as she described what really had happened.

"I fell in the van." Becca explained almost daring to sound pleased with herself. "I did it on purpose so I could hide my cell phone. Daddy said it had a kid finder app and well .. I guess it worked."

Ponch's anger faded as he listened to her story and he made a stunned sound deep in the back of his throat. "So that's how you hid the phone?'

She nodded and then yawned tiredly. "Uh huh." Since her new phone had been a bone of contention in the family, Becca set her lips firmly in order to take the opportunity to defend herself. "It worked really good .. and everyone came .. so, I need it."

His grin turned into a smile, and then finally a deep laugh. Her eyes were glassy with fatigue and he had to stop to lovingly kiss her forehead. "Yes, you are one thousand percent right." Trading places with Kono, Ponch gently swung Becca up into his arms before settling her onto his lap. "I guess you do."

Pleased about winning her case and with her wrist feeling better, Becca scrunched down into the blanket she was wrapped in. Her eyes drifted shut while she felt her uncle fixing yet another cozy blanket around them both so she could burrow contentedly into his lap. Safe and warm, she was sound asleep seconds later and Ponch was still smiling as he watched her face smooth out.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

After taking the doctor's place on the edge of the bed, Steve half-watched and listened to the goings on in the room. According to the doctor, Danny was purely exhausted and definitely feverish. With the assumption that the gunshot wound had become infected, Danny was weak and he needed to be on a regimen of antibiotics and more fluids. Combined with that desirable course of action was a general concern about Danny's head injury.

Almost tentatively touching Danny's good hand, Steve was relieved to find it warm. Much of the terrible trembling had ceased too as cold, wet clothing was removed and warm blankets were tucked around his body. If they had to be stuck and unable to get to a proper hospital setting, there was much to be said for having the safety of a house, a comfortable bed, and an excellent doctor at their beck and call.

"How's he doing?" Now freed from her task, Kono wandered over to check on Danny. "He looks much better already."

"He needs more." Looking up at the ceiling as if he could see the night sky, Steve made a face over the howling wind and heavy downpour. "But it could be much worse." Steve admitted as Danny twitched and made a face. The fingers on his good hand feebly clenched a fold in a blanket and then relaxed; after that his knee moved just slightly under the deep covers. "He's feverish and concussed; but doc thinks he'll be fine with a great deal of rest."

Breathing out a loud sigh of relief, Kono shared the same about Becca. "Her wrist is badly bruised. But she did good .. real good. We wouldn't have found them without her fast thinking."

Steve nodded in agreement. Things had gotten out of control quickly and they literally would have had nothing if Becca hadn't so bravely planted her cell phone in the van. Glancing over his shoulder, Steve grinned when he saw Ponch and the little girl now sleeping together in the corner chair. In his mid-sixties, the large doctor was not used to such a great deal of physical activity which had been brought on by a deep, emotional strain. Anchoring his arms around his niece, it had taken him a scant few minutes to join her in slumber.

"What are we going to do about this _issue_?" Chin quietly asked as he lobbed his head towards the corner of the bedroom.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Steve put his hand on Danny's chest when he suddenly jerked and mumbled something unintelligible as if dreaming. "Right now, we let him sleep and worry about it later .. let's worry about it all tomorrow. But I think Danny is waking up."

Muted sound flickered around him as Danny briefly roused to a foggy feeling of warmth and at first he thought it was an evil trick. Having been so wet and freezing cold, he was sure that what he was feeling now would all fall away once he fully woke and opened his eyes. Still feeling dazed, he took stock of his body while listening to soft murmurs near him. With his eyes closed, he recognized Chin's voice at a distance as he moved his fingers and winced around a dull headache.

There was a subtle uncontrollabe shiver every so often and he could feel the subdued pain in his side. Weakly experimenting, he realized that his left hand was strapped into something and another ache was creeping into his wrist. Though oddly warm, pain was seeping back into his consciousness and he found himself taking a more careful, shallow breath when a shape pain rocked his side unexpectedly. It hurt and Danny winced in reaction. Then he heard his name and felt a comforting pressure on his chest which deepened the feeling of warmth and he frowned. While he certainly wasn't well, his dream was comfortable and he resented the concept of doing more. Tentatively, Danny dropped his good hand down to his side to feel the remembered gunshot wound, but just as he connected with a thick bandage, his hand was halted by strong fingers.

"Danny?" The fingers belonged to his partner and Danny truly knew the faked warmth was a trick. Some elaborate scheme concocted where he might be made to feel warm and dry, yet in reality was in a godforsaken cave .. or worse, still under a tree and sitting up to his ears in mud. Whatever had been done was either a bad idea or an unfair hoax.

"Danny .. wake up." A sporadic shiver ran through his body and Danny winced as it pulled at his injured side.

"No." With his eyes still closed, Danny breathed out the word as he tried to free his hand. "Go .. way .. Steven."

"What? Danny ... wake up." There was movement near him and the bed dipped more as Steve freed his fingers and moved closer. It meant the warmth was indeed fleeting, so Danny tossed his head with an even deeper frown.

"No, Steve. Go away." In the distance, Danny could hear wind and rain pounding wherever Steve had them hiding. So it was only a matter of time for the warmth to flee and the truth to come out. He barely heard the alarmed tone to Steve's voice because he was too busy enjoying what he knew would be the last bit of false warmth.

"Danny .. open your eyes." Coaching or actually pleading, Steve was still there and Danny groaned in refusal. The tone changed to one of petulance as Steve dug in, too. A hand was placed on his forehead, then his cheek and then back to his forehead where it lay heavily. In a way, that felt good too and Danny couldn't find the strength to object. Blandly, he settled for listening to the hum of conversation around him as he briefly zoned out again.

"He's running a fever." Steve's voice moved in the air, so Danny knew he had spoken to someone else. "It may be higher and he's confused."

"Not." Danny muttered under his breath resentfully. "Go .. way."

"Danny." Closer again, the next statement was for him though and Danny knew he should have stayed quiet. "By the way, I'm not going anywhere … so open your eyes."

However, where he didn't object to the soothing hand on his forehead, Danny did find the energy to decline that request. Under the blankets, an ill shiver came and then went. "No. Absolutely .. not .. listening."

Obstinately sinking into the final dredges of comfort, he still refused. "Go .. way."

The bed dipped again, this time as Steve got up. Running his fingers weakly over a nubby blanket, Danny frowned again because it was a very good joke. Testing the theory, his scowl deepened when he dug his fingers firmly into the mud he knew must be there, but only managed to come up with a fist full of soft, warm material. His head even felt comfortably propped on soft downy pillows. But he flinched when a cool cloth was suddenly draped over his forehead and then wiped down his face and neck.

That also felt good enough to dampen some of the sharp headache and he sighed until he remembered it wasn't real. Steve was beyond persistent as he took up what was already a customary place near his right hip on the bed. "Danno .. come on .. you've been out for the count for a while now … wake up for us. Then you can go back to sleep again."

"Trick." He murmured quietly because what Steve said made no sense at all. Above him, three sets of eyes flew amongst the other in a rising state of alarm. "Not .. real."

"Danny?" Kono hesitantly asked as he heard a faint shuffle and softer whispers. "Do you know where you are, brah?"

"He's confused and doesn't know what's happening. Maybe we should wake Doctor Ramirez? This could all be from the head injury … not just the fever." The worried comments were from Chin now as he rudely talked over Danny as if he weren't there. Yet he was the topic of conversation. Moaning under his breath, Danny mumbled in disgust. Everyone was in on it then. He only woke more as Chin's voice moved around him as if the man were walking. The words resonated and meant something as they sunk into his pained head.

"Doc's exhausted, though. Plus, I just don't want to disturb Rebecca either; she's finally sleeping."

"What?" Clenching the blanket tightly now, Danny forced his eyes open only to blink furiously up into Steve's very worried face. His vision wasn't entirely cooperative and waking fully sparked the headache, but he could most definitely was not in a cave or jungle or anywhere except for a real bed. Near him, the cousins were shoulder to shoulder sharing equally concerned expressions.

"I … don't? Steve?" Completely confused, Danny pulled at the heavy array of blankets before lifting his heavily splinted left hand for a hazy look. He didn't recognize where he was but his team was spread out around him and though it wasn't very clear, he could just make out the large silhouette of Doctor Ramirez in the corner of the room with a bundle of blankets piled upon his lap. The room was darkened slightly but more filtered light was coming in from the hallway.

"Becca? Where .. is she?" Danny winced as he tried to sit up. He gasped as pain flared through his side and he spontaneously blinked back stunned tears. "Where? What's .. going on?"

"Oh no." Steve was back on the bed and pushing him to stay flat though it was hardly necessary. Danny's complexion had paled even more and he was now panting heavily around the pain caused by the ill-timed movement.

"You need to be still. You're banged up pretty bad; but you're going to be fine." In one hand, Steve held a bag of IV fluids which Danny belatedly realized were attached to his arm. The fingers on his left hand were splinted and the hand itself was heavily wrapped up to his wrist. He'd been doctored and yet wasn't in a proper hospital; on top of that, his entire team was in attendance while a storm raged outside.

"Do you remember anything .. about what happened before?" Steve's hand was splayed wide open across the top blanket. The pressure kept Danny grounded as he tried to process where he was and what had happened. There was a long silence as splintered memories crept in and Danny eventually nodded.

"I found Becca ... in the house. We watched … from high." Steve waited patiently as Danny tried to explain the pieces that were coming back to him. His unfocused gaze fell towards Kono because he remembered her, too. "Saw … flashlights. Becca fell .. or left for you? Is Doc here?"

There was a change in Steve's overly wounded posture as he finally relaxed. If Danny remembered some things, Ponch had offered more confidence about a bad concussion versus a skull fracture. Initial worries were slowly overcome as Danny tiredly breathed out a succinct version. It was enough and Steve finally grinned. "Yeah, we found you both. The storm is at its height so we brought you back to the house to ride it out. Becca's fine and sleeping already. We leave in the morning after the rain stops."

"Oh. The house … bedroom?" He understood it now and sighed almost happily as Steve confirmed it. "Nice." There was a faint glimmer of a quirky smile as Danny briefly communicated his approval for the comfortable, warm surroundings. He vaguely heard Chin's happy snort and a word that sound almost like '_typical_.'

Yet as he tried to stay awake, another shiver pulsed through his body. Above him, Chin shared a look with Steve as he rinsed the wash cloth and once more draped it over Danny's hot forehead. Their friend had an odd awakening and his temperature was indeed going up. Things were relatively stable, but there was still much to deal with and Danny needed a real hospital.

Checking his watch, Steve muffled an impatient noise under his breath. They had at least four hours to go before they could consider getting a chopper in to a nearby clearing for retrieval. But as he stated before, things could be much worse.

"Go to sleep, Danno. We're getting an airlift out of here tomorrow morning when the storm breaks." There was a lull during which Steve sat more comfortably next to him and Danny felt the blankets being pulled up higher. Steve's voice had fallen to a whisper and was likely testament to his own weariness. But Danny found himself still listening as the soft drone continued.

"It was either this or risk travel back to the rally point in the storm ... we all thought this was the better option."

"Oh. Good .. one." It took a monumental effort to peer up at Steve through heavily lidded eyes. When he succeeded, it was short-lived as Danny lazily lifted an eyebrow to slur out one final comment. "Best one .. yet."

Virtually asleep on the last word, he entirely missed Steve's grin.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **so I did my best researching law here and then describing what I understand the process to be. Hopefully, it's nearly right at least! I tried to have this make sense. It's the reason this took longer to massage and get posted.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 13**

"You get him well, Ponchie. You fix him." Fervently desperate, Mike was standing in the corridor of the ICU outside Danny's room. And 'standing' was a generous description as he swayed into the wall. He had one arm wrapped around the painful healing wound in his side. He was up too soon, trying to walk too soon and much too irate for his own negligible condition.

"You can't ..let him .." Mike lost his voice as he refused to finish the sentence. Sweating from exertion, he wanted to hit something, but didn't dare let go of the wall as he swayed again and the big doctor grabbed his arms. "Not now .. not after what he did for us." Rather than answering, Ponch pulled his brother into a warm hug which caused the other imposing man to completely break down in tears.

"He's not going to die, Mikey. And I swear that I'm doing my best, but I need you to rest and sit down for me .. then get back into bed. I can't take care of both of you like this." Riddled with fatigue, Ponch was almost mumbling through the coarseness in his voice. He also hadn't found the courage to tell Mike that he'd been suspended from Tripler for the foreseeable future until the mess he'd caused by killing Frank Curtis had been properly sorted out. The fact was soon to be put into place that very hour: Doctor Ramirez could not personally take care of his brother or the detective on hospital grounds.

"No, no, no." In his arms, Mike was already shaking his head before pushing roughly away and staggering into the wall. "It's not good enough. You do more than that .. _more_ than your best. You get him through this, do you hear me?"

Steve stood idle and at a loss as the two brothers went head to head over the man who lay so ill in his silent struggle. Danny looked bad. Danny looked very, very sick and though Ponch was mostly optimistic, Mike was verbalizing his own very real fears. With a deep sigh, Steve knew full well what the doctor really needed to tell his brother, but the current scene would probably prevent that from happening. Tears pricked his own eyes as he listened to their words and dropped his gaze to Danny's fevered face.

"Fight this, Danno." A too high fever gripped his partner as trembled under a pile of blankets that would likely soon be changed out for ice-packs. Each breath rattled harshly under the oxygen mask and his nonsensical ramblings rarely stopped unless the scheduled pain medication or a sedative had been dispensed. Worse than then the concussion, he had lost a fair amount of blood from the gunshot wound and a deeply seated infection had taken hold despite surgical debridement and placement of a drain.

"You've managed to get four Ramirez family members peeved with you this time, pal." The snicker failed and Steve's voice broke as he took up his partner's limp hand, mindful of the bruises that traced across his knuckles. That comment was far from the truth because Danny had given them back their family by keeping Rebecca whole and safe. Miscellaneous, cuts, scrapes and bruises seemed to pop up nearly hourly as Danny's body weakened more instead of strengthening. It was an entirely different experience than that at the remote house and even after just a few hours post their arrival at the hospital, Steve was at a complete loss to understand the change.

The rain had stopped and the clouds had dispersed scarcely twelve hours earlier. Becca had woken, excited not only for her first helicopter ride, but to simply come home and be done with the terrifying experience. Danny had been almost fine .. _almost_. Rousing for the move and brief stretcher ride to the landing site, he had become confused and had soon lapsed into longer periods of silence as the transport seemed to take what little energy he'd stored out of him.

"_Tired_." It was the only excuse Steve had gotten as Danny closed his eyes and his fever rose. By the time he'd gone through the emergency room and been properly assessed, he was stubbornly non-responsive.

"Becca's so good .. she's so good, Danno. You did that .. now let Doc help you, buddy." Steve pleaded with him before sinking into the chair next to the bed. Fluids, pain medication and intravenous cocktail of antibiotics were constantly being fed into his veins. Weakened beyond belief by stress and blood loss, infection and now the resulting fever which had taken up a firm residence, Ponch refused to say more about it. Only that everything was being done, Danny was in the best of hands and simply needed time for the medications to kick in and work.

But to make so many matters worse, the big doctor was leaving TAMC and so in reality, the other fine ICU doctors would be stepping up in his stead.

With a great deal of difficulty, Steve listened as Mike Ramirez demanded nothing short of life. Mike thought it was his fault for everything that happened to his daughter as well as to Danny. And then, little Rebecca Anne had defiantly announced the very same thing much to the shock of all the adults present. Somewhere maybe not so deep inside a scary glimmer of Kasey Pearce still burned brightly tasked with keeping her mother's demands alive.

Regardless of Mike's stunned diatribe to prove her wrong and her Uncle Ponch's angry insulted fury, it was almost twelve hours later and Becca was stubbornly holding firm. Evidently, this stubborn streak was a Ramirez family trait according to Ellen, who smiled tiredly while cuddling her exhausted niece. So both Steve and Ponch knew that Mike's demands now were not only for him, but for his daughter who needed her Uncle Danny to heal.

Steve finally left Danny's bedside when he heard Mike's muffled voice again. "You get him through this, Ponchie." Only his brother could render the doctor speechless and it had finally happened. Intervening on both of their behalf's, he retrieved the wheelchair first.

"Mike. That's enough." Joining the two men, Steve wrapped his arm around the taller man's broad shoulders and gently aimed him for the discarded wheelchair. Where Ponch had failed and likely only because Mike had officially run out of steam, Steve won the short battle of wills as the man finally stumbled over his feet. "Sit down, before you rip something open or fall down."

He didn't bother saying another word as he anchored a hand to each of his friend's shoulders to keep him seated. He watched as Ponch wearily rubbed both hands over his face and through his badly graying hair. Under his fingers, Mike was equally trembling from the rush of emotions and fatigue. The last thing any of them needed was for Mike Ramirez to suffer a relapse.

"We all need to take a break." None of them wanted to, but Steve knew they had to. Another twelve-hour block was a long period of time, made longer by a clear lack of progress on Danny's part. Behind Ponch's back, Kono and Ellen Ramirez were striding their way over.

In the hospital lobby though, both HPD officers and Special Agent Jim Marcus of the FBI waited for Alphonse Ramirez. Chin was there as well to ensure that there were no unforeseen issues or questions for their friend. In fact, he was anxious to guarantee his own report was shared and accurately transposed into any discussions.

HPD and the FBI had coordinated their resources to permit the doctor one final day at TAMC before returning to bring in him in for questioning and a date with the District Attorney. The short delay was orchestrated though because Steve had once again intervened to at least allow the man to settle particular family affairs and ready himself for the coming work-related suspension. Of which, that was predictably immediate once the hospital's Board of Directors learned of the pending action.

As word got out, people were stunned and whispers were already heard in pockets throughout the hospital. Those close few that knew the circumstances were not surprised, though. In fact, they congratulated the man privately and held him in an even higher esteem. Many were angered by the legal review that would be coming down on the man's head and they took it personally, with a great deal of disgust.

Even though charges had yet to be defined by the D.A., they soon would be and the team feared voluntary manslaughter. Then the feds could have a run at the aged doctor, too. Rumors were already circulating in the hospital about a petition to save the doctor's fine reputation and bear strong witness to his character. However, what could or would happen next would be decided by the D.A.'s office and a host of lawyers who would prepare for a coming judicial hearing and sentencing.

The only one taking the coming legal battle well was Ponch, himself. Oddly, then perhaps Ellen because she trusted her husband and stood behind him one hundred percent. She alternated between tears and then swearing that they would get through it for Rebecca's sake. Other than the emotional worry for his family and Danny, Ponch had retained an excellent lawyer and had continued to maintain a stoic and determined lack of remorse for his actions. His family was safe and that part of Rebecca's frightening life was now officially over. He could cope with being suspended from Tripler. He would deal with the legal ramifications and duly accept the fallout as it occurred.

Believing the two brothers had spoken about the legal issues, each face was wracked with concern for the three men outside in the hallway and Steve took advantage of the momentary silence. His pointed look confused Ellen though Kono easily understood that the challenging conversation still remained open.

Before they could say anything, Steve was pushing the wheelchair beyond them and hooking a finger in the doctor's lab coat to pull him along. His request was for all three and they lingered before going to sit by their friend.

"Can you stay with Danny? We're going to settle Mike back in bed. He's tired." Steve kept moving, relieved when Mike said nothing and Ponch silently followed in kind.

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Surprisingly, Ponch did decide to speak to his brother after he'd managed to get him situated again in the ICU. As gently as possible, he began to break the news about whom had actually shot and killed Frank Curtis. Steve stayed for as long as he was needed and long enough to see the strong emotional changes that contorted Mike Ramirez's face.

Steve's quiet support and added explanation regarding those who waited for Doctor Ramirez in the lobby might have been appreciated by the doctor, himself, however, Mike was stunned and plunged at first into a dark silence. His reaction and resulting readings earned him a sedative which his brother dispensed to his further annoyance.

"What are you doing, Ponchie? Do you plan to sedate me every time something goes wrong. But ... jail?" He could barely get the word out of his mouth as Ponch readjusted intravenous lines, oxygen and then for lack of things, the very bedding.

"It's part of the process. And we are all going to do our best to help Doc get through this .. even Jim Marcus here at the FBI has stepped up. But the actual charges are going to be up to the District Attorney." Steve cringed as Mike's face lost even more color.

"Lawyer? Who's representing you?" Mike's next blurted question was reasonable and this time Ponch nodded to signify he'd already reached out to two of the best and since then, had already selected one. "You will have qualified help?"

"Yes, her name is Anna Graves. It will be fine, Mike." But Ponch's voice dwindled away as his shocked brother interrupted once more.

"What were you thinking?" There was more though and even though he was still recovering and disbelieving of what was unfolding, Mike narrowed his eyes at his brother. With relief, Steve could see the effects of the sedative working as Mike's voice at least dropped to a more normal level.

"You could lose your job. Everything. You could really go to prison because of all of this … because of me and my responsibilities."

"You are my brother and this is not because of you or anything you did or did not do!" Utterly offended, the tables nearly turned and Steve found himself trying to soothe the big doctor as Ponch nearly lost his temper at Mike's final comments. "If you think I'd want this any other way … you're a fool. It will work out and I'd do it again."

"Commander, if you don't mind please." Ponch glanced just once at Steve with a grateful expression and it was Steve's clue to leave the two alone. Which he did, but only to march immediately to the hospital's lobby to advise Chin and the waiting officials that the doctor would be out shortly.

Allowing Chin to manage the situation, Steve cut across the lobby to intercept both Rachel and Grace when he heard the shout. Due to delayed flights and the timing of the rescue mission's return, Ellen had been left to juggle both Grace and then her own niece. At least until Steve had gotten his act together to collect Grace himself so that Ellen could focus on her family. Over much of her fright, she was relieved to see everyone coming back to the hospital only to become upset as she was prevented from seeing her father.

Out of breath and worried, Rachel had arrived within hours of Danny being placed in the ICU; just in time to escort Grace in for her first visit as short as it might have been. Now they were back and clearly hoping for an improvement.

"Hi, Uncle Steve." Even though she ran to him now, Grace was quietly subdued as she gave him a quick hug. "Is Danno better yet?"

His barely muffled sigh and serious expression were duly absorbed as a negative and Grace frowned unhappily. "He's still very sick, Grace. His fever is high and he's taking medicine that the doctors say will help him fight the infection."

"Can I see him?" The next question was a whisper as her eyes widened worriedly.

"I think so, but he's sleeping so you can't expect too much yet." Steve shared hesitantly as Rachel caught up to them.

"What's with all of this?" Rachel murmured as she eyed the HPD and FBI presence. "There's not more trouble with these people, is there?"

"Not exactly." As Steve was about to explain, Doctor Ramirez and Ellen showed up and without hesitation walked directly to Chin Ho and the rest of the gathered officials. A short hushed discussion ensued with Chin most angrily adamant until a particular uniformed officer backed away. Even Jim Marcus seemed put out as he seconded whatever Chin had denied or demanded of the one HPD officer. There was no doubt of Chin's disgust or of Jim's equal level of annoyance as they flanked the doctor. But whatever had happened was soon over and the doctor was leaving with Chin, Jim, and two different HPD officers without so much as another word or fuss. Ellen was left alone in the large lobby watching the group leave en-masse to waiting HPD cruisers or official FBI vehicles.

She was slow to turn around, but when she did, Ellen joined Steve, Rachel and Grace. "Becca's upstairs sleeping in the nurse's lounge; I don't think she's ever been this tired but neither of us were quite ready to go home, yet."

Trying to smile, Ellen couldn't quite get past the lump that was taking up a solid residence in her throat. Her eyes flew to the lobby doors where she could just see the last FBI SUV pulling away from the curb. Her arms flapped uselessly at her sides as she half pointed to it. "So ... there we have it. An officer wanted to use handcuffs. Can you imagine?"

"Unbelievable. The intent of this was to be discreet." Angrily, Steve shook his head since that was now the obvious reason for Chin's disagreeable demeanor. "There's always one in the bunch."

"I'm sorry. What exactly is going on?" Completely in the dark, Rachel was utterly confused by the odd situation. "Are you implying that Doctor Ramirez was just arrested?"

Looking up at the adults in surprise, Grace's mouth dropped open. "Really? What did he do?"

Placing a hand on her head, Steve sighed deeply as Ellen battled another bout of tears and hugged her arms tightly around herself. "He .. _uh_ .. he shot and killed the man who was responsible for all of this with Danny and Rebecca."

"How could that be bad?" Rachel unexpectedly blurted in a small fit of anger. "After all this time and what he did ... I fail to see how this is bad." Thankful for the support, Ellen tried to smile again but failed as a tear escaped down her cheek.

"You sound like Alphonse." Ellen gave out with a weak sound that should have been a short laugh. "However, it seems that Frank Curtis was technically in custody when it happened; or at least possibly in the process of maybe surrendering." Ellen offered quietly as Rachel pulled her into a hug. "He did have a weapon but .. what Alphonse did was very wrong. Very, very wrong. He shouldn't have even been there in the first place."

Looking at Steve's pensive face over the nurse's bowed head, Rachel silently asked for confirmation about what the doctor had done. She grimaced unhappily when he nodded. "I'm sorry." Rachel whispered into her hair as Ellen's shoulders began to tremble.

"Grace. Go with Uncle Steve to see your father if you can?" Under her arm, Ellen nodded yes and Rachel smiled softly. Physically turning the nurse away to a private corner, she watched as Grace willingly took Steve's hand. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Grace remained silent as she entered the ICU and then only stared at Danny. Sweat dotted his forehead though he still trembled under the blankets. "He's cold." Grace finally whispered.

"He has a high fever, Gracie." She was getting big, but Steve swung her up so she could see Danny better over the side rail. "Each one of these special machines and the medicine will help him get better. It's only going to take some time."

Her only response was a quick nod to mean that she understood, but there were wheels churning in her head. Actively churning and ready to spit something out as she fidgeted a bit in his arms. Steve felt the change as she rested her head on his shoulder while watching Danny mumble and then twitch unconsciously in the hospital bed.

"What are you thinking about?" He prompted softly. While in his arms, Steve couldn't exactly see her face. He heard the unexpected words very clearly though and had no verbal reply even if he wholeheartedly agreed. However the real truth of it was very complicated.

"I'm glad that Doctor Ramirez took care of that bad man. He shouldn't have to go to jail for it."

**~ to be continued ~**


	14. Chapter 14

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **same comment as before:so I did my best researching law here and then describing what I understand the process to be. I'm sorry that I haven't had the time to get back to many of you. It's very busy here with layoffs, plus luckily, new interviews externally.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 14**

"Okay. What's wrong?" Steve was almost tired of asking different people the exact same question. He was asking Danny now as he woke more naturally after a rough night of fevered dreams, confusing touchy starts and stops in his memory, and then finally a significant break in his temperature which dropped him into a peaceful, healing sleep. Steve had been informed of the good news after returning from a well-deserved rest, himself. One full day had elapsed since Doctor Ramirez had been arrested and the new stress was wearing on everyone. But he was beyond relieved after pausing at the nurse's station before happily entering his partner's room. But there was a telling look on his partner's face as he tried to fold his arms over his chest, winced and then settled for laying his injured hand on his lap.

"You look better at least." The amused eye-roll and the one-handed wave to dramatically demonstrate his true thoughts about his bedridden state, belied Danny's inner worries though.

"Yeah, there's this!" Steve grinned back before he repeated himself. "But what's bothering you?"

As Ponch had promised, once the antibiotics kicked in, Danny would get well. The on-duty attending ICU doctor had just left after checking Danny's latest readings and evaluating the healing gunshot wound and head injury. His name was Owens and he shared his own pleasure with both men about Danny's improvements, even offering a tentative release date just two days later if Danny stayed his course. Having combated the worst of the fever, the drain would be removed later that afternoon. Attention now focused on the head wound and Danny's complaint of dull headaches and questionable vision.

_"Normal enough for the severity of the concussion." _ Owens had confirmed one he had he re-checked his patient's pupils and reflexes. _"Your doing well." _ While he was efficient and the bearer of good news, the simple truth was Danny had noticed that Doctor Ramirez was most obviously missing.

"Mike." Watching Doctor Owens white-coated back finally depart through the open door, Danny thumbed his bed higher. "He's taken a turn for the worse, hasn't he."

"Now why would you say a think like that? Mike's doing fine. Great, in fact." Steve honestly answered. "He's probably going home … soon. Like tomorrow."

"Then where's Ramirez?" Having reasoned that he hadn't seen the over-bearing doctor in some time, Danny assumed that Mike's own health had been the issue. With Steve's answer, Danny scowled and then his mouth dropped open in shock. "It's not Becca? She's not hurt or sick .. nothing's happened … right?"

"God no!" Steve blurted with both hands raised high to calm the rising stress level emanating from his bedridden partner. "Nothing like that at all. Everyone's fine, Danny."

Standing at the foot of the bed, Steve leaned on the bed frame. "_Fine_" was relative in context and his attitude was just a bit off which showed plainly by the displeased look plastered across his face. "There's no easy way to explain this, so I'll just say it."

The fact that Steve was so serious forestalled any other words and Danny simply waited to hear what he had to say. "Doc showed up at the takedown and long story short, he killed Frank Curtis. He's been arrested and the D.A. just charged him with voluntary manslaughter."

His lips took on a thin annoyed line as he finished delivering the bad news. "He's in jail, Danny, waiting to see if the judge will consider setting bail."

"He what?" His weak voice was sketchy at best but Danny's tone was undeniable. Flabbergasted at the news, Danny seemed to flounder awkwardly in bed as if he might try to get up and leave before falling limply back into the pillows. "

"Jail? He was arrested? He killed Curtis? What the hell, Steven!"

"Danny. I know. We all know." Steve stated in an attempt to put an end to what nearly sounded like an accusation. "It happened so fast, none of us had a chance to stop him."

Speechless for the first time since waking, Danny stared at Steve across the length of the bed. Of all things he thought he might learn about Doctor Ramirez, this was the least likely of all.

"He's got a great lawyer." Steve affirmed quietly to Danny's garbled attempt at another question. "Maybe it will work out. We can only wait and see."

"Isn't that the truth." The angry comment reached them from the hallway where Mike Ramirez was wheeling himself in from once again going AWOL from his own bed.

Not as pale as the previous day, he was still incensed by what was now happening. "This monster is dead now and we still can't seem to escape him." Mike griped as he persistently pushed himself into the room. "But I honestly can't believe that my brother did this .. I just can't get my head around it."

"Should you be up, yet? It certainly doesn't look like it." Steve asked as he helped position the chair closer to Danny's bed. The non-answer was enough and Steve cringed on the man's behalf when he heard Ellen's strident voice in the corridor. He definitely wasn't supposed to be out of on his own.

"Here we go." Steve blithely coughed out under his hand while retreating the opposite side of Danny's bed and leaving Mike directly in the line of fire. The last thing he wanted to be was in the middle of two belligerent Ramirez family members. Watching him take the few big steps to the other side of the room, Danny snorted under his breath.

"Thanks ever so much. You're a good friend, Steve." Holding his side, Mike chuckled as his sister-in-law stalked him down and the clack of her heels got closer, paused and then directly seemed to turn in the direction of Danny's room. But it was all forgotten when Becca rounded on him first with her own reprimands that out-weighed anything Ellen might have said. Wearing a brightly colored sundress, her black hair was tightly twisted in two neat braids each set off with two yellow bows.

"Daddy. What did the nurses say about you getting up?" Her wrist was still bandaged, but after a good many hours of sleep, Becca was her bright and spunky self once more. "You should have least waited for help!"

"You're right." Fighting not to smile, Mike barely managed to shrug lamely before kissing her forehead. "I have no excuse for myself, but I wanted to make sure your Uncle Danny was feeling better."

That worked and Rebecca closed her mouth thoughtfully. Behind them, Ellen smiled as Mike tried and then succeeded in deflecting the attention to Danny. Carefully climbing up on the bed, Becca studied him much to his amusement. He could easily see her becoming a doctor like her uncle with the unflinching gaze and forthright mannerisms.

"So?" The little girl's face was very serious as she took in the bandages on his cheek and forehead. Then the IV lines and blankets that still covered his chest but her question was surprisingly for Steve. "Is he getting better, Uncle Steve?"

Jumping over Steve's pleased laugh, Danny made believe that his feelings were terrible wounded. "Hey! What am I? Totally invisible? But yes, as a matter of fact, I do feel better." Danny confirmed as he tugged once on a braid and Becca giggled at her own joke. And then, not wanting to draw too much attention to such recent fears, he wasn't sure what to say even when it came to her father. Anything he might say, would probably become a discussion about her uncle, so Danny tried to ask a general question about Mike's pending discharge from the hospital.

Plucking first at the light top blanket, Danny then gestured to the wheelchair. "I have another day or two, but I hear you can go home tomorrow? Is that really happening?"

The instant interruption came from Becca, who was suddenly very excited as she shared the news for her father. "Yes! Daddy's coming home tomorrow. But not to our condo downtown. Aunt Ellen and Uncle Ponch are going to take us to their house so daddy can rest and we can all take better care of him."

Her words came out spontaneously and so innocently, Becca didn't know what she said at first. Then she simply stared at Danny as her face fell woefully before quietly sliding herself off the bed. Without even looking at Mike, she folded herself around her Aunt's waist and hid her sad face. It had barely been a full day and Becca sorely missed her uncle and was very much afraid of what might happen next. Sharing a grim look with his sister-in-law as she gently soothed his daughter, Mike sighed heavily before rubbing at the growing stressful ache behind his eyes.

"So, Danny." Steve was fishing for anything to say as the small group became uncomfortably quiet. All he could come up with was what he'd asked Kono in amazement back in the dull bedroom of the large house. "When did you start playing with dolls?"

"Dolls?" The question and genuinely stunned look that crossed Danny's face was priceless. Before he could demand more of an explanation, Steve clarified his question. Though it might eventually stray into a dangerous territory for Becca, the newly contrived conversation had caught her attention and Steve chose his words carefully.

"I didn't know you understood the mechanics of tiny dolls and their elaborate clothing so much. Is there something you need to tell me because I found that doll at the house. Then I found the pins that you used to help Becca."

Danny's jaw dropped open as Steve so blandly continued speaking. He was intentionally ignoring Rebecca who had started to at least grin through her shiny, tear filled eyes. It was very difficult for him to even keep a straight face as Ellen and Mike stared in disbelief and confusion at each other, before waiting for Danny to say something.

"How exactly did you … a grown up man .. actually know that a pretty little doll would have such cute little pins hiding under its cute, little white petticoats?" Unable to hide the twinkle, even Danny had to bite his lip. Only sort of knowing why she giggled, Becca's smile grew more when Steve added, "I mean obviously those special lock picking skills have nothing to do with the infamous Jersey Slip …. because heck, using the pins evidently worked."

There was silence after that and Steve though he'd won with what had started out as a way to make light of an awkward situation. Setting his jaw and staring at Steve, Danny waited one and then up to five whole seconds before responding in just as bland of a tone.

"Well Steven, there's your way … and then there's my subtle flair for finesse." Grinning widely, Danny shrugged before finishing his point. "Besides, I have a multitude of extemporaneous talents when the need arises. Ones that don't necessarily require explosives, incendiary devices, or the need to duck and cover."

All eyes flew to Steve at that droll challenge. "What's a incintery ..device? Insitery? Insent..._tarry_ device?" Squishing up her nose as she mispronounced the word, Becca stared at him too. "What does it do?"

Ellen was beginning to laugh now, as was Mike. "Incintery, huh?" He laughed harder as Becca left her aunt to lean against the wheelchair.

"Well, what is it?" Determined now, Becca wasn't going to let it go. Folding his arms defensively across his chest, Steve mockingly glared at them with a special look reserved for Danny that promised a future payback of sorts.

"Coffee. I'm going down to the cafeteria for coffee. Anyone want some?" With three giggling_ no thank you's_ resounding in the room, Steve tried to escape but Becca captured his hand.

"Hot chocolate, please. But Uncle Steve!" Barely hiding his own growing chuckle which grew louder as Becca swung his hand and then trod on his heels, the last they all heard was the little voice piping up to ask the same question again, and again, and again.

"Incin..tery? In.. ? _In ..sent.. tory_?"

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **same comment as before:so I did my best researching law here and then describing what I understand the process to be. I'm sorry that I haven't had the time to get back to many of you. It's very busy here with layoffs, plus luckily, new interviews externally. I was afraid the muse went on strike when massaging the next few chapters too to fit properly after running briefly (but seriously) amok.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 15**

"I'm neither crazy nor sorry for what I've done." Ponch repeated again to his extremely frustrated lawyer. Defense attorney, Anna Graves, wanted to literally throw her briefcase at the obstinate doctor and she'd barely known him for three days. They glared at each other across the table in his dining room. Graves had a decent rebuttal if the man would simply cooperate.

Behind her, he could see his niece nervously pacing and trying to see what was going on from where she had been playing on the lanai. Mike was resting in a lounge chair with a blanket draped over his legs doing the very same from his seated position. Waggling his fingers at Becca, he saw her smile through the glass and she finally stopped to sit with her father.

With pursed lips and a patient sigh, Graves knew the little girl was trying to eavesdrop. But she had serious matters to discuss with her client; none of which suited the ears of a youngster.

"Listen to me. You are a distinguished doctor and beloved member of this community .. even if you are a downright pain in the ass and an obstinate old fool." Ponch's eyes danced with laughter at the young woman sitting across from him.

"Beloved? That's ... different." He drawled as a smile broke out across his face. She totally missed his intentional omission about arguing _'pain in the ass' _though, and he nearly laughed. On a rant that might rival Danny's, Graves had to raise her voice to continue her case definition with someone who had become a most aggravating client.

"And .. _and_ you are a decorated war veteran plus ... I might add, a former well-respected Board member of Tripler. You have no past criminal history and everyone knows the absolute hell your family has been through over the years with this Curtis character." Graves was viciously attacking the table with her pen at that point. The rat-a-tat was loud and Ponch raised his eyebrows as he fell to looking at her manicured fingernails responsible for the abuse.

"This is exactly what we described to the judge and the truth of the story need not deviate. In short, you did not intend to murder anyone ... you did not plan this." Completely ignoring him, Anna tapped all the harder. Because of her client's stellar reputation and status as a decorated war veteran, the trial was on a condensed timeframe. He had the public's support and the FBI didn't want any part of the case or Doctor Alphonse Ramirez due to a perceived responsibility of Frank Curtis's escape from jail and ability to pull the wool over so many eyes.

Embarrassed by even being oblivious to Warren Hick's activities on an internally published watch-list, they just wanted it all to go away.

Continuing on her tangent, Graves further explained the reasoning behind her point. "I don't normally recommend such a plea as this; however, in your case we are building a justified and quite believable argument around a crime of passion. A valid plea of temporary insanity. So, deal with it, buster."

By his own admission, Ponch had fully intended to rescue his niece and even Danny if he could. He had no actual intention of killing Frank Curtis, or anyone else for that matter. In no part were his actions premeditated; Five-0 and SWAT member depositions were consistent to a fault about what had occurred that night. He had taken his pistol as a means of protection and not as a murder weapon. From start to finish, his actions were purely emotional and driven not by revenge, but to protect his brother's child.

Early public outcry supported the good doctor; the FBI wanted to sweep it all under the rug; and the truth of the facts supported Anna Graves wise legal tact. The District Attorney had levied charges of involuntary manslaughter against the man based upon all known facts. The judge had then considered his defendant and the circumstances in great detail and then provided the defense with a generous gift. Though involuntary manslaughter was a surprise but still a felony, the judge set bail at $60,000 which the Ramirez family was able to meet by posting bond. Jailed for less than forty-eight hours, Doctor Ramirez posted the requisite percentage of bail and was able to return home.

Ellen had met brought him there from his brief stint behind bars and they'd discussed their frightening future all the way home. The lawyers, depositions, what the tact might be during trial and then ... how long his sentencing would likely be for manslaughter. They only stopped discussing it when they parked in their own driveway. Ellen had smiled then and motioned to the front door when it flew open wide.

_"You better get in there to her!" _ Thinking that Becca was being watched by a sitter, Ponch scooped her up giggling from where she hovered so anxiously in the doorway.

_"Come see who's here!" _ Squirming down, he was now in for the true surprise as she then pulled him happily into the spare bedroom where his brother was now ensconced.

_"Welcome home, Ponchie."_ Mike had wryly announced with just a residual hint of anger in his tone. He was still unsure what to think about his elder brother's apparent self-sacrifice which had so nobly provided him with such an extreme sense of relief. As with Anna Graves, what aggravated Mike so much was Ponch's ambivalence to his own set of circumstances now. In fact after beaming down at his bedridden younger brother, the doctor's first question was about Danny.

_"What's the word?"_ He succinctly asked Ellen who didn't need more to know what he meant.

_"He's being released today."_ The vexed look on her face spelled trouble though and Ponch was instantly concerned.

_"I know that look, Ellen. What happened?" _

_"Oh, it's not Danny's health. He didn't take kindly to finding out what you did nor to where you were until bond was posted."_ The sardonic snort from the bed came from Mike who simultaneously agreed, but then "_didn't_" all at the same time.

_"He's getting better, Alphonse, and over the worst of it." _ Ellen confirmed. _"But Danny was quite perturbed, as he so aptly put it, once he'd calmed down."_

The echoing repetitive low huff of agreement from the bed made Becca giggle and at that point, she was only glad to have her uncle home._ "Uncle Danny is mad at you!"_

With a hand on her head, Ponch lobbed a warning finger down at his brother's nose. _"I'm fine with whatever happens, Mikey." _

_"Yeah, but we're not!" _ Mikey had pounced back loudly and with an air of indignity that had so ended the conversation.

Afterwards, Mike had been situated outside in the sun. Becca had rocked safely on his knee and with a mug of coffee in hand, Ponch rehashed it in his mind, but he meant what he said. Having temporarily surrendered his passport, the family had met bond and now he was luckily under house arrest based upon the distinctive characteristics of his case.

So far, it was enough to be home if just for a short while. This was more than he had hoped. His mind continued to wander as Anna Graves spouted legalize at him.

The tapping continued because she'd noticed his lack of attention once more. "Doctor. We will be going forward with this as our tact."

Ponch couldn't help frowning when he returned to the present and focused on her. He distinctly remembered the moments he pulled the weapon out in the house and how he had so rudely and purposefully brushed passed Chin Ho. He absolutely recalled his blinding desire to kill Frank Curtis on sight of the smirking mobster; and being the expert marksman that he was ... he simply did.

"Temporary insanity. Doctor, please come to terms with this." Graves waited and he scowled because he'd just admitted Anna Graves' particular point to himself.

Eyeing him closely, Graves pursed her lips and realized something she had yet to coax out of him. Now, his feelings were worn openly on his sleeve and she certainly knew one thing for certain. "You are sorry, aren't you." For all the bluster and belief that he was content with his actions, her statement of fact rattled him. Ponch dropped his gaze from her face and stared blindly at the kitchen table. Anna Graves, Esquire had been given yet another fine gift.

She knew that he did care as a medical professional; as one who was born and trained to save lives. Minus the 'doctor' title and fancy PhD though, Alphonse Ramirez was a fish out of water with what had happened. Deep down, the real man was nervous and possibly even scared to death about the possibility of being incarcerated on the current manslaughter charges because he truly felt remorse. The real man had made a frightful decision _because_ he was desperate to protect his family from a dangerous mad-man.

Tapping her pen one last time, she forced herself to relax. In reality as they waited for the trial date to be set and prepared their argument, this would be the easiest case of her tenure as a defense attorney; all they needed to do was tell the real, simple truth. While Frank Curtis could not defend himself nor was he directly on trial, his past and present monster-like offenses were significant. His life would not be missed by anyone. In comparison, she was defending a well-respected community leader who needed to have faith in himself.

"You need to trust me. None of this is contrived, Doctor. So yes, you deserve this defense despite your assumed violation of the Hippocratic Oath. You deserve my office's very best to set the record straight because you are a good person. You deserve to come home for good, so let us do our job and see if we can make that really happen for you." She grinned when he stared at her with renewed respect.

"We asked for a condensed timeline to get this to trial as quickly as possible. I won't lie that it's going to be a rough ride, but Rebecca needs you and her father both at home." Leaning over to hold his hand, though it wasn't exactly proper, Anna genuinely smiled at him. She was feeling more confident with every passing moment and her genuine enthusiasm finally made Ponch smile along with her. "The courts will do the right thing."

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

All he seemed to do was sleep. One circuit around the apartment exhausted him. Average trips to retrieve the daily mail, make a meal (which didn't actually count because meals were already apportioned out in his refrigerator), or god forbid … take a shower .. had turned into major physical events.

Wiping the dampness from his forehead, Danny grumbled to himself as he stared at the sofa which was calling him once more. But he'd left his pillows and blanket in the bedroom. He'd just taken on the marathon of getting his mail in the bright, hot sunshine and needed to yet walk more to retrieve those things most necessary for a successful nap. Everything was made twice as difficult using only one hand until his fingers healed. Plus on top of it all, his pain medication was also on the dresser in the bedroom.

Resigning himself to the pending feat, he was halfway down the hall when a hard knock sounded on his front door followed by multiple ringings of his doorbell. He grinned and turned even though he knew the door would rudely open next, which it predictably did, to his partner's arm-laden silhouette against the bright mid-morning sun. Groaning, Danny winced as the sun beamed directly into his eyes again.

"Good morning, Danno! Time for second breakfast!" Steve boomed happily as he used one foot to slam the door closed. Once the sun was blocked from sight, he groaned and winced at the overly loud welcome before waving once in Steve's direction.

"Morning, Steve. Can you use your inside voice now. Please." The amused sniff only resulted in a loud rustling of the bag as the scent of warm pastries accosted Danny's nose.

"I could leave." Steve offered with a smirk. "If you're mad .. I could just go."

"Wait. Are those …malasadas?" Danny paused in the hallway again, torn now between his original plans and the generous gifts now poised on his counter. Two white boxes came out of the larger shopping bag and each lid was pulled up allowing more of the delicious aromas to waft his way. "Never mind. You're forgiven."

His partner was still lingering in the hallway though, and Steve paused seeing that he'd interrupted something. A pile of magazines and arbitrary looking envelopes were strewn in a haphazard pile on the counter top. Not only was he holding his left elbow firmly to his healing side, Danny's splinted hand was awkwardly held against his chest and his face was covered by a light sheen of sweat.

"You went outside for the mail?" Danny was still squinting painfully after having been in the sun, and he was obviously on his way to run yet another errand. Meeting him halfway, Steve gently propelled him towards the kitchen and the closest chair.

"What were you doing now? Get over there and grab yourself something to eat … and I'll get whatever it was you needed."

Grinning at successfully being able to beat Danny's obvious indecision, Steve chuckled. While he had substantial food stuffs from well-meaning friends, no one had brought his favorite pastries and Steve had been conveniently in the area. Convenient too, because he had ulterior motives related to the trial of Doctor Ramirez. But he felt even better now for the not so spontaneous visit as he gauged Danny's level of discomfort.

"You should have called me." Steve complained as Danny sighed in relief at being able to ease himself carefully to a chair before choosing a pastry.

"This is my new normal. It doesn't help to call anyone." Danny muttered back almost irritably without looking up. It gave Steve time to measure what he saw and he was fairly pleased though Danny still carried an air of general malaise and there was no doubt he needed more time to rest. His doctor had insisted on a two-week downtime, then half-days only on light duty prior to a final physical. Danny would need all of that generous time to regain his usual stash of energy.

"I don't care, Danny. If you need help … you call." The reprimand was more stern and Danny nodded in assent. Steve could tell that he did have a headache but it didn't seem to be a bad one based on the quickly disappearing first bite of pastry. In fact, he seemed to be essentially in a good mood despite his healing woes. Making an educated guess since the television was on, Steve started walking towards the bedroom.

"Pillows?" You were going to camp out on the sofa?"

"Yup. And pain meds. I left them on the dresser." He was annoyed with himself and Steve could hear the subtle note growing in the tone. It was going to be best to allow Danny to get the frustration out of his system, so he resolved himself to letting it just happen. When it did, it was in grand style.

"I just came in from getting the mail .. in the infernal blaze that is referred to as the sun around here. As you know, it wasn't quite hot enough yesterday." Steve smirked to himself as he continued walking down the hall with Danny's voice following him.

"Not a cloud in the sky, either. So now .. after walking possibly less than twenty paces that my grandmother could do without her walker ….. _Danno_ needs a nap." Full of sarcasm aimed solely at himself, Steve already knew that Danny was disgusted with the too slow process to regain his stamina. Grinning more widely as muffled complaints reached his ears, Steve retrieved the needed pill bottle, pillows and blankets. Slamming the cap firmly on the bottle so he wouldn't lose any tablets, he scooped up the bedding with one arm.

"Hey. Who's here?" Passing the bathroom though, it was now obvious the shower was running and Danny had a guest. "Am I disturbing something ...else?" Steve asked, thumbing back over his shoulder as he spread the blankets across the sofa. "Ah .. should I leave? Who's here?"

"What?" Mouth full of malasada, the response was barely recognizable. The two looked at each other in mutual confusion until the faint bathroom noises stopped and the door opened. Wrapped in a large towel, Grace squeaked in surprise when she saw Steve before bolting to her own bedroom.

"Hi, Uncle Steve! Don't look!" Danny winced again as the shrill shout drilled through the dull ache in his head. But he cringed as Steve answered her happily back with a loud resounding shout. "Hiya, Gracie! Not looking!"

"Shhh! Yes, Grace is here." Needlessly, Danny muttered around another bite as Steve burst into laughter. "Shhh! Insides voices. Please."

Steve couldn't help the continued grin because Danny was also rolling his eyes dramatically. Undeniably in a good mood even for his tender aches and pains, coupled with a rankling sarcasm, Danny still leaned over for a second pick out of the box. It was easy to guess that having Grace was the reason for the stronger good vibe, but he wasn't entirely feeling well.

Resting his chin on his fist, Steve couldn't help the mild teasing. "Got a headache there, Danno?"

"Ya think?" Danny snarked back as he took another bite. "Not too bad, but bad enough; I need to eat to take my meds." Steve idly pushed the box towards his partner's direction, followed next by the medication.

"Well then, by all means eat up!" Seconds later, Grace had forgotten her momentary embarrassment. Quickly dressed, she was tying her damp hair into a sloppy pony tail to join them.

"Malasadas!" Like Danny, they were also Grace's own favorites and she immediately dug in to the open box, leaving a mountain of crumbs all over the counter. Steve laughed at the duo as he vainly tried to corral the sweet mess.

"So? What's the occasion?" Steve asked as Grace squeezed herself onto a chair by the raised breakfast bar.

"Some teacher's conference, so no school today." She explained with a huge smile. "I wanted to see Danno, and mommy let me surprise him this morning."

"That you did!" Danny added as he stared in annoyance at the capped bottle and then glared at Steve. He intentionally left the lid off because he couldn't quite manage opening the medication with one hand. Whacking the now tightly closed bottle on the counter he slid it back towards Steve.

"Please. Help the invalid." He snarked about his uncomfortable left hand as Grace giggled. "Leave the cap off, too."

Steve popped two tablets into his palm and apologetically left the lid just cocked to one side. "Today is just full of surprises." Danny grinned at Grace against the dull ache which the medication would soon push into oblivion. Instead of lazing around the house doing almost nothing, an afternoon of DVD's and board games awaited him with his favorite daughter.

"However, malasadas are one thing." His tone slightly changed though as he watched Steve choose a pastry for himself. There was a more serious reason about Steve's arrival based on time of day and for something yet unsaid in his eyes. "Plus Grace doesn't typically come with a catch. Your special surprise would be what exactly?"

Neatly guessing by Steve's suddenly more blatant sober expression, Danny frowned. "The trial's been set?"

"They're fast tracking and Anna Graves couldn't be happier." Steve explained. "I guess it's a good thing for everyone; but it's nerve-wracking even from the outside looking in." He hesitated briefly before glancing towards Grace but as he said it, she already seemed to know what her friend intended. "Becca is insisting on going."

"She wants to go. So .. she should go." Grace clearly agreed with whatever Becca had said. "She said that she has to go. She said she has to go for her uncle."

"I'm not sure that's going to happen, Monkey." A courtroom wasn't an inviting place for a child, especially one as vulnerable as Rebecca. Danny sighed and shook his head as Grace made a face about that possibility. "I guess we'll find out if she's allowed to go when the time comes for it."

"Do you think Doctor Ramirez will go to jail?" Grace tentatively asked. Everyone liked the big doctor and her friend was very sad. With the date for the trial now established, Becca would be twice as quiet as she had already become. She wasn't even sending funny text messages anymore about Finster or Mrs. Hoppy.

"Becca is going to hate that if he does. It's not right either." Grace was adamant about that, too. "He shouldn't have to go to jail."

"We don't know yet, Grace." Steve admitted quietly. At the risk of sounding heartless, Steve caught Danny's preoccupied expression. He was worried too and Becca wouldn't be the only one in the Ramirez family to be devastated. They had all done everything they could for their friend. It was time to trust the skills of Anna Graves, as well as the future decision of the jury and judge.

"Doctor Ramirez is a good man and he has lots of friends. He has a great lawyer who is very confident in defending his case." In the end, there was really nothing else he could say to Grace because she understood that the doctor had made a very big mistake.

Reaching over to take gently squeeze Grace's fingers, Danny finished Steve's thought. "The courts have to decide what will happen. We all have to be patient and hope for the very best."

**~ to be continued ~**


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: ** More surprises! And JazzieG hit the nail on the head! I feel bad for not getting back to anyone to THANK YOU for the interest in this story - so extra chapter this morning.

From what I could find, the process is done privately and the judge can be outside of it until the plea is presented in open court. I could not find what someone is expected to "do" when on probation. So thanks Wikipedia - please take much of this loosely, though I did try really hard to make it as accurate as possible. It wasn't easy but the end result seems quite probable in very special cases - and Doctor Ramirez is a special case.

It was interesting to read up on some background "politics" about behavior amongst prosecution and defense teams familiar over time. Bartering can take many forms - as I guess it could - and may reflect the real benefits of a longer term relationship. Oddly, some writings say that the right to bear arms can't be revoked in some felony cases (weird) - anyway, for the muse's use in FF, the D.A. will ask for it here.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 16**

_"Mrs. Graves."_ The deep voice was almost soothing but held a strong sting of professionalism. This would not be the first time they had bartered; nor the last time the D.A. would lose. But it was always a give and take between them and this time, it was Anna's turn with the strength of her defense. With the call originating from the D.A.'s office, the prosecution was in doubt of a solid case against the good doctor.

_'As well they should be.'_ Anna gloated to herself.

"Mr. Stevens." Anna nearly purred in delight when the anticipated call came through to her offices. It had certainly taken the D.A. long enough to realize the potential embarrassment around the very nature of her case. Anna Graves had won yet again and Stevens had yet to say more than her name. She remained efficient and professional due to their mutual need of each other.

"Mr. Stevens, let's cut to the chase shall we?" Their process was a private song and dance. Behind closed doors and not openly discussed until both sides agreed. Step one of their skirmish was now officially declared and Anna started high on her wish list.

"Doctor Ramirez will plead temporary insanity and guilty as charged to involuntary manslaughter. In kind, he will consent to four years probation with option for early termination after the first year. And no jail time. None. Zero jail time. Once Ramirez makes appropriate restitution for the crime, this matter will be completely expunged from his records."

There was silence at first and Anna frowned. Dean Stevens was up to something and it came as a subtle hint. _"Is your office representing the Miles Jackson double homicide?"_ Anna instantly knew the game had changed yet again. Jackson was a hardened criminal and she was assembling the defense simultaneously with her team while defending Doctor Ramirez. The case would be long, complicated and require her full stash of in-house resources.

"Yes. We are moving ahead." She admitted cautiously. The unspoken part of their current skirmish would include their mutual need of each other's ongoing cooperation for even more dire cases than that of the doctor.

There was a brief quiet moment before Stevens spoke again. _"In reviewing your current case, we believe that Ramirez had adequate provocation and was under extreme duress. He was not himself at the time of the incident."_

"Yes." To her and any reasonable person, that was obvious. Stevens was admitting that the prosecution had virtually no case. He was going to give her what she wanted for Ramirez if she asked for no favors during the Miles Jackson case. It didn't necessarily mean she would lose or give up her second client's concerns. It meant that favors such as those being discussed during this bargaining session would not be as kindly received.

_"The facts around this case are directly contrary to those presented in the Miles Jackson incident."_ To that, Anna didn't reply and she waited for Stevens to continue. _"When comparing the two side by side, the defendant is as different from the other, as night is from day."_

"Yes. Doctor Ramirez is cut from different cloth." Anna finally offered. "The public outcry and his character bear close witness to those facts."

_"We will ask for a $10,000 fine. We reserve the right to discuss and recommend community service and adequate rehabilitation programs. We will want his weapons license permanently revoked."_ Stevens suddenly said. It was clear now that the D.A. was not going to argue against her terms. However, she would need to acquiesce in kind during the Jackson homicide trial. Anna Graves could do that with a clear conscience; she could do that and still represent both of her clients with a solid moral compass.

"Agreed. We will draw up papers and I suggest that you and I meet by tomorrow." Stevens approved as well and that was it. Delighted by her achievement, Anna leaned back gleefully at her desk. She would only advise the Ramirez family once the papers were officially finalized. Her next battle would be for the good doctor to work on keeping his mouth closed as he might still disagree. Plus, the judge could still disagree and reject the plea bargain, but it was not likely.

"No, not likely at all." Anna smiled and felt as if the holidays had arrived early. She was genuinely happy for her client because for him, the right thing would indeed be happening.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

At the behest of Anna Graves, the Ramirez family and especially Doctor Ramirez, kept their united mouths shut when the plea was levied to the judge. She was pleased that Mike was most critical in shaking his brother down in allowing his attorney to work on his behalf. She sensed that the doctor would listen to his brother; which he thankfully did in the end.

Then as Anna expected, the judge did not contest or debate the jointly agreed to contract between the defense and prosecution. Even though they had been told to expect it, the Ramirez family and large contingent of friends burst into happy gasps and then applause. The judge had to stop from smiling as he demanded order and then explained next steps that validated probationary mandates. Decisions were made, documents were signed and Ponch was left sitting in near shock when he was simply advised he could leave.

"That's it?" Ponch asked Anna as she stood over him with her arms folded. They were in a private holding room together and the rest of his family was waiting for him in the courthouse lobby. He was trembling and was acting as if his legs wouldn't quite be able to hold him up should he try to stand.

"You want more?" She laughed as she pulled him to his feet and off balance, he did sway for a moment. He was a big man, but seemed smaller in his exhaustion and suddenly much older. Anna liked him and couldn't stop herself from asking a more personal question. "Have you ever considered retirement?"

Her question was one of gentle kindness even though the man seemed to be married to medicine. She wasn't sure what Tripler might decide with the status of their own suspension, but things would work out. For this man, they deserved to work out. But he didn't answer her probably because his head was still swimming by the sudden changes.

"What?" He asked, but he was already worlds away and thinking about Ellen, Mike and Rebecca. Anna smiled as she propelled him towards the door and out to his family.

"Never mind. Go home and contact me at any time of day or night if you need help or have questions." That he did hear and he turned abruptly with tears in his eyes. His hug was unexpected and out of character for those not in his family circle, and Anna gasped in surprise before returning the embrace.

Unable to stop smiling, Anna escorted him out to the lobby. They were all there waiting for him; even little Rebecca who was entirely confused and still upset because she didn't understand what was happening. Friends from Tripler were nearby, but closest and standing with the family were the Five-0 team members. Even weeks later, the Detective carried an elusive fatigue though Anna heard he was healing well.

Anna watched as Mike Ramirez squatted down next to his daughter and pointed towards his brother. He was also recovering from a grievous injury, and Anna noticed the subtle wince around the slow, deliberate movement. The entire family had indeed, suffered quite enough.

_"There!"_ Becca burst into tears when she saw Ponch appear in the far doorway. She saw Mike's mouth move and easily read _"Well, go get him Sprite!_"

Ponch was already shaking off his shock and getting ready to absorb the impact of little Rebecca as she catapulted herself into his arms. Ellen was crying as her brother-in-law hugged her to his side. Commander McGarrett had put a similar friendly arm over his partner's shoulder as the two remaining team members communicated their thanks to her through their happy expressions.

Her job done, Anna took a long moment to soak in the scene because the true joy on each face was something to behold. Becca was wrapped around her uncle as he walked towards his family. All she understood was that he could come home for good.

Behind a pillar, she noticed Dean Stevens watching closely. For once, the severity of the talented District Attorney had softened without realizing he was being watched by his peer.

When he felt her eyes on him, to his credit, his pleased expression didn't change but his nod indicated the future unspoken terms of their next trial date. She was additionally content to know that the D.A. felt equally at peace with this special outcome. As he now looked meaningfully at her, Anna pursed her lips around her never-ending grin and she folded her arms to signal agreement.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	17. Chapter 17

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **A bit more is demanded ... hope you all don't mind! :-) special thanks to CinderH and JazzieG for helping so very much.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 17**

"She's doing alright in our sessions and I agree with you that we resume a more consistent schedule until she regains her confidence level. But there is something I have noticed … she no longer talks about her friend, Grace. She also isn't at all enthusiastic about her pet rabbit." Mike was meeting privately with the therapist Rebecca had seen on a rather steady schedule since being rediscovered over year ago. Her transition from Kasey Pearce had been more seamless than problematic. Her schedule had naturally lessened until recently when Mike wisely felt it now important to revisit a more regularly scheduled set of sessions.

Native Hawaiian Doctor Lana Naihe was a young, energetic child psychologist. Small and heavy-set, she favored colorful flowing dresses and casual sandals. Her office had no formal desk or chairs. Instead, her space was a riot of color and sunshine with happy ethnic Hawaiian music playing softly in the background. She was the epitome of non-intimidating with a penchant for flopping herself down with her young patient to color, play games or to simply spend profound blocks of quiet time where she fostered trust and healing.

Lana had stressed the word '_alright_' which indicated a concern and Mike instantly was on edge. She and Mike had resorted to sitting on the floor in that space to review her thoughts about Becca's most recent session. Lana would never share those things very private from her young client, but she would discuss other certain things a parent should be aware of.

"I hadn't noticed." Mike admitted. But it wasn't he who would notice first and he realized that because his sister-in-law had assumed the role of primary caregiver as he recovered from his injuries. "How do we help her to get over this?"

He knew her answer before she voiced it and he frowned though she was right. "Gently with patience and time." Lana admonished him. "Watch first, ask later only if she offers. There are little things you will notice first about Becca; small hints. Then, we can work together to put her fears to rest .. for good."

Lana studied him for a second and the smile momentarily left her face. "How are you doing? This has been the most hardest on you."

"What? Fine!" Taken completely by surprise, Mike blurted out the two words as if attacked by the congenial round-faced woman. No one had actually asked him how he was, though Ponch and Ellen were constant champions even with so many things happening one, right after the other. He hadn't even considered how he was personally feeling up until that very moment.

"I'm sorry." Embarrassed by his defensive response, Mike got to his feet carefully and held his hand out to assist Lana. "I'm fine .. I'm good. No bad dreams or anything like that. I'm just worried about Rebecca and we all want to move past this."

"You don't have to have bad dreams to need to talk." The doctor's smile was back but he'd been duly weighed by the astute therapist as she tapped his chest gently. "You are very important, too, and if you need to talk ... about you .. we certainly can. Or, I can recommend someone else."

Mike nodded his thanks since he had lost his voice and suddenly, was cognizant of the dull ache which lingered in his side. But on the way out to his car, he noticed that both of his hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists. Self-consciously, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the blinds swinging closed in Doctor Naihe's brightly colored office.

"Damn." He whispered to himself as he dug his car keys roughly out of his pocket.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

"Danny, I'm sorry. Can you just let me take care of this one thing with Becca?" As soon as the courts had made their decision, Danny and Ellen went to work on organizing an elaborate celebration for Ponch. Just cleared to drive, but still unable to work, Danny had driven to the Ramirez home to have lunch and discuss the plans. With Mike visiting Doctor Lana Naihe and Ponch being sent on an errand to the supermarket, only Becca was home. Apparently reading in her bedroom, Ellen was having a terrible time getting her niece to care for Finster though.

"Becca! Go feed that rabbit!" Pausing to listen for a reply from the bedroom's as she stacked the dishwasher, Ellen wound up slamming the door to the machine closed. Danny laughed knowingly as he watched Ellen's exasperation grow.

"I don't know what's gotten into her, Danny." The deal was that any time Becca visited or stayed at her Aunt and Uncle's home, Finster was entirely her responsibility. Other times, when she was downtown with her father at the condo, Ellen generously stepped up to the task. However, for the fourth time that week, Ellen snatched the bag of pellets off the kitchen table and grabbed the already chopped up vegetables from the refrigerator.

"Here, let me help." Rising from the table, Danny took the bowl of vegetables from Ellen and carefully stretched. His left hand would be useless for days yet to come and he winced as he pulled on his healing rib and injured side just a bit too hard. The headaches had stopped though, and he was generally much better especially now that he could drive short distances. Being mobile again was an utter blessing in comparison to being stuck inside his apartment which in truth, was much improved unto itself than a hospital bed.

"It's just a phase or she's embroiled in a good book. Becca likes to read." Danny groaned through the stretch. Ellen sighed when she saw the wince but Danny was already refusing to stay in the house. He laughed as he tucked the small bowl under his arm like a football to evade her fingers and refused to give it back.

"No, no! I need to walk a little bit anyway plus it's a relief to do anything more normal." Even feed a rabbit, Danny snarked quietly to himself. Still, Ellen made a face about Becca's apparent 'deafness' as she and Danny went out to the rabbit's large hutch.

Back in her bedroom, Becca was laying on her bed with the covers over her head and doing anything but looking at her book even though it was on the bed with her. She also clearly heard her aunt calling but was intentionally hiding. Cell phone in hand, she texted a short message back to Grace's worried one about the coming surprise party.

_" at your uncle's house?_

_"y"_

_"oh" _

An unhappy icon followed and Becca rubbed her eyes. The "_oh_" meant that Grace didn't want to come and Rebecca understood because she didn't want to go either. In fact, she was beginning to realize that she was frightened of the big grassy yard now at her aunt and uncle's house. Without saying as many words, Grace seemed nervous too.

_"your father is here for lunch."_

Becca tried to change the subject, but it didn't go over very well since Grace had an off-weekend with Danno. She realized her mistake instantly when she received the tell-tale short response. Even texted, the unhappy tone was obvious.

_"oh - y?"_

_"sorry. it's only party stuff."_

Her quick text message back to Grace was sensitive and genuine, but it still left Becca waiting for a response.

_"I'll come IYW. I can bring MH?" _

Grace would come though for her if she wanted and Becca felt tears sting her eyes. Her friend wasn't mad at her and she was completely relieved. Grace would bring Mrs. Hoppy too, but Becca wasn't at all sure if that was a good idea.

_"IDK" _

Confused about her feelings, Becca finally truthfully texted back that she didn't know. Suddenly she didn't even want to talk anymore as she wiped her itchy nose on her arm.

_"TTYL. G2G." _

Ending their short conversation, Becca didn't wait for Grace to respond as she shoved her cell phone under her pillow. But all that was there anyway on her phone was one simple letter.

_"k"_

Closing her eyes, she shuddered when she heard the sliders close hard to the outside. Her aunt was mad but she was going to take care of Finster for her. Again. But that still didn't make Becca feel all that happy. Becca also knew that Doctor Naihe suspected something; but she didn't know how to describe what she was feeling at all and the doctor would never push. She always allowed Becca to figure it out herself through more gentle methods. The last question the doctor had asked Becca had been justly gentle - then Becca had unexpectedly clammed up.

_"How is your cute little Finster, Becca? Any new pictures to show me today?"_ The harmless question was no longer harmless and Becca had only shrugged through a sudden unease. Until then she hadn't even realized much that she missed her bunny and had shirked her responsibilities so very much.

Grace was her friend and she loved her Finster, too. But each time she approached the sliding glass doors or dared to step foot on the lanai, she felt like running away ... far away. For some unknown reason, she and Grace didn't talk as much either. Not understanding what was wrong with her, Becca sank more under the covers as she vainly listened to hear when her aunt returned safely to the house.

"Hi, bunny, bunny." Outside by the large hutch, Ellen crooned as Finster hopped readily over for his dinner and the few special treats that he happily search for in his small ceramic bowl. "Oh for goodness sake. What is wrong with you mother, Finnie?" Reaching in, she pulled out the near empty water bottle.

"This is what I mean." Brandishing the bottle under Danny's nose, she was truly mad now. "Becca is going to have to decide if she really wants a pet. She told me that she was going to clean out the bedding hours ago and look at this mess."

It was quite true that the hutch needed a good cleaning. And that became the next issue on Ellen's ever growing list of misdeeds related to the poor rabbit. "Okay, okay! But I bet it's just a phase .. she probably just needs a tiny reminder." Danny admitted as Ellen waited for him to say something in her defense.

Following more slowly, Danny frowned as he glanced back toward the hutch. Finster was happily eating and was oblivious to anything but his treats. Danny hadn't been there since the day of the abduction though, and he nearly stumbled in reflex over a mental image of Mike laying in the grass. The grass was green and had just been mowed but in a flash, Danny saw a burst of red before it was gone again.

"Get over it." He muttered in surprise under his breath as he stumbled again over his own two feet. It was normal to replay a scene over in his mind and he knew that; but not when that crime scene had been a friend's house. Shaking the disquiet off and becoming even angry with himself, he was back on Ellen's heels as she practically stalked through the sliders and directly through to the kitchen sink. Scrubbing hard, she cleaned the bottle and refilled it to the brim with cold water. Leaning against the counter and focusing on just the clean water bottle, Danny stayed out of the coming fray.

"Becca! Get in here and at least give him some water!" Ellen looked up as the small shadow appeared in the hallway and then came no closer.

"Why didn't you answer me when I called you the first time? You need to put that book down now. Finster has no water and you have to plan on cleaning out his hutch by dinner time. I just fed him for you again, so the least you can do is take this out to him."

"Do I have to?" Barefoot, Becca fidgeted from one foot to the other before sagging into the wall. Her aunt was holding the bottle out to her but she didn't step forward to take it. She had dared to visit her bunny that morning. She had tried really hard to at least get that very same bottle from Finster's hutch. But something had made her rock to a hard stop at the edge of the patio pavers. Her toes had barely touched the grass and her hands had started to sweat just before they had begun to tremble.

That had been as far as she had gotten. Then the doorbell had rung and Uncle Danny had unexpectedly shown up for a visit. Behind her aunt, Danny was still leaning against the counter as he listened to the conversation. He was looking at her closely and though she refused to look at him, Becca could feel his stare.

"I wasn't reading my book. I have a stomach ache, Aunt Ellen, and I want to lay down."

It was a risk to tell her aunt that she wasn't feeling well, most especially when she felt perfectly fine. Mostly fine, anyway. Plus Uncle Danny was visiting and she had his attention to contend with now, so Becca needed a fast excuse. "I had candy at Ethan's house." Hiding her hands behind her back, Becca felt bad for the tiny white lie but she still refused to enter the kitchen.

Her Aunt Ellen seemed very annoyed and Becca fidgeted even more until the hand holding the bottle dropped. "Fine. But we're going to have to talk about your responsibilities when it comes to your rabbit. A nice long talk."

Sparing another look at her niece, Ellen went out the back with the water bottle. With a frown, Danny walked over to her and felt her forehead. "I'm not sick like that, Uncle Danny."

"You sure? Do you feel sick _sick_?" She shook her head no about being sick to her stomach. "Okay, but you better tell your Aunt if you do. We'll be right back in the house. Why don't you go lay down?"

Giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head, Danny left her too for the backyard and to catch up to her aunt. Nervously, Becca edged forward from the hallway to keep an eye on them. Danny was already walking across the patio, then through the grass towards the hutch. Not even realizing that she was wringing her hands, Becca's mouth went dry as Ellen opened the hutch and fastened the water bottle back inside for Finster. Danny was right next to her and pulling out a large flake of hay from the crate it was kept in.

"Come back." Becca moaned unhappily as Ellen loitered by the bunny to shove handfuls of fresh hay and alfalfa into one side of the elaborate cage. When she stayed longer to stroke Finster and talk to Danny in the sun, Becca began to sweat as her stomach twisted in a panic.

"Come back. Please." She softly began to cry as every shadowy flicker caused by the light breeze made her startle. Truly feeling sick now, Becca fled to the bathroom only as both Ellen and Danny retraced their steps across the grass.

"Becca." Her aunt was looking for her now; probably to talk about Finster and how she'd not taken care of him at all for almost a solid week. Sitting on the cold tile floor in the bathroom after really getting sick, Becca wiped the tears from her eyes but it was too late to hide. "Oh sweetie, you really don't feel well do you."

Leaving quickly, she heard her Aunt calling to Danny for a glass of water with an entirely different tone of voice. "She said she wasn't nauseous." Danny replied in confusion from the kitchen, though there was something more questioning in his voice. Seconds later, he was there too and bending down awkwardly. "What happened, Becca?"

"I don't know. My stomach hurts and I want to lay down." Becca's tiny white lie was no longer a fib as her aunt helped her to her feet and tucked her into bed. Danny also stayed and she dutifully took a sip of water to rinse her mouth. He was back to feeling her forehead again and whispering soothing soft words.

Their combined loving attention only made her guilt worsen but her unnamed fear over-shadowed that. Feeling utterly wrung out and confused, Becca rolled over on her side as her Aunt Ellen fussed and fretted about her tummy ache. But as she closed her eyes to Danny's continued soft words, she couldn't stop thinking about the scary corner of the yard where her beloved Finster lived. And then keeping her eyes tightly screwed shut against a rise of tears, she only wanted her father to come home.

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	18. Chapter 18

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **I know there is some concern about Ponch retiring; but he must because it's right for him at this time in his little "OC" life. He is far from gone though; so no fear there!

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 18**

Ponch never made it to the supermarket. Without thought and on automatic pilot, he wound up in the parking lot of TAMC and was soon walking down familiar halls to his darkened office. No one stopped or questioned him on the way. He didn't know how or when he found himself sitting behind his desk with the lights still turned off and his private space only brightened by the sun coming through the partially opened blinds. By then he had totally forgotten the errands which Ellen had sent him on and he completely lost track of time. He wasn't sure if he was even thinking or merely listening to the intimately familiar hospital sounds and relishing the medicinal smells that were intertwined with his very being.

"I didn't know you were here." Calmly, he looked up from where he'd been staring at his blotter and absently trying to balance a pencil on end of its eraser.

"It's Saturday, Mary-Pat. Why are you here?" His administrator of the last twelve years was quite happy to see him, but as always, far from demonstrative. Mary-Pat was exactly the type of person suited to work with his acerbic personality for she could be as abrasive as himself. The two were never at odds though as _like_ fostered _like _at least in their situation.

"Case work. We're a bit short-staffed." She cocked her head coyly at him to imply that it was entirely his fault. "Why are you here?"

"Hmm. I didn't quite plan to be here and I don't doubt that I may be breaking the law yet again by trespassing." Ponch admitted with a short laugh. Peppered hair tightly arranged in an old fashioned bun on top of her head, Mary-Pat pruned her lips which made her look even more matriarchal. In fact, she looked much like Mrs. Hannigan from the classic musical '_Annie_' which even Ponch had once brazenly pointed out to her in private. Instead of being angry, Mary-Pat had laughed because Mary-Pat couldn't refute the similarity to the sometimes sour character.

"What do you do next?" Mary-Pat asked, ever so blunt. One hand waved in a wide circle in front of her as if conjuring up a potion of sorts. Her gold bracelets tinkled and chimed as the circle kept moving round and round.

"With this probationary work? Will you be able to at least do something where you can make a difference?" The tone of her voice held a rude displeased quality and Ponch almost interrupted her because what the judge had decided wasn't going to be a poor penance. She was also furious about TAMC's suspension where he was not the least bit offended. Then, Mary-Pat didn't trust what the courts might have decided and it was obvious she was leery of what they would foist upon her now ex-boss.

"It's not bad, M." In fact, he was looking forward to the experiences where he would be fully using his talents. "I'll be at the Veteran's Hospital twice a week and twice a week at the Medical Mission Free Clinic. I can even pick a rotation and hours of my choice as long as they meet the monthly requirements."

He didn't need to say anything about the shady environment where the free clinic was located as Mary-Pat's face hardened a bit more. She clearly felt he was much better than stuck working at a small, free clinic that would undoubtedly suffer from lack of funds and proper medical supplies. Then again, that was the point of his community service and Ponch was quite pleased. Based on the rough sound emanating deep from her throat, Mary-Pat remained disgusted.

As if to make his point sink home, Ponch leaned forward and smiled. "M, it really is going to be a good thing."

She didn't reply as she tucked her arms firmly in front of her chest. Her glasses which had been tipped on the bridge of her nose, slid down and toppled down only saved by their faux pearl-pebbled necklace chain. She studied him long and hard before digging her perfectly manicured finger nails into her blouse.

"Now what?" Ponch sighed tolerantly as he absorbed her discerning, piercing gaze.

"Should I get you a box." Statement not question was offered like a cutting sword and Ponch's hand quieted on the desk. He thought he would feel sad by the realization of what he would do next. He even thought that Mary-Pat's challenging statement should actually anger him. Instead, he found himself smiling and feeling a true sense of righteousness with the world .. his world.

Ellen. His only concern would be his wife and her reaction to his official retirement without a proper discussion. Not waiting for a verbal reply from him, Mary-Pat offered her own style of grim smile. "I'll get you one; maybe two and help, Doctor."

Oddly after so many years, it didn't take the two of them very long to neatly organize his belongings. "Believe it or not, I will miss you." Mary-Pat admitted after carrying the second box out to his car.

"In fact, I will miss you very much so you had best visit quite often." Ponch was surprised to see true emotion in her eyes before he too was clearing his throat against a tightness and awkwardly patting her hand between his two.

"It's been a long time, M." She grinned at her nickname which completely altered her Mrs. Hannigan demeanor and he tweaked her nose. "Do that more often, Hannigan, it suits you."

"You are an old, cocky fool." Mary-Pat retorted as he slid behind the wheel of his large SUV.

"Yes we are, aren't we?" He teased her back slyly, and her smile grew to agree. She frowned quizzically when he made the opposite turn out of the large TAMC parking lot. He evidently had elsewhere to go instead of going home. She watched for a long time as he drove away before heaving a huge sigh and returning to her own office. No one would hear the rumor nor truth of it from her, but it would be interesting to see the the fall-out from this spectacular event in the life of Doctor Alfonse Ramirez.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

After putting Becca to bed for a nap, Ellen found Danny staring blindly out the sliders in the direction of the rabbit hutch. Two things had happened in the last few minutes, both of which unsettled him greatly. One, was obviously his realization that Rebecca was indeed harboring some very real fears completely unrelated to caring for her rabbit. The second had to do with a text message he'd just received from Steve.

_"Call me. Marcus has the key."_

As brief as it was, the information from the FBI about Frank Curtis's elusive key put Danny instantly on edge. Which wasn't saying much after his short stumble, nor what he just had witnessed with Rebecca. His flashback near the rabbit hutch though was compounded by the receipt of six simple texted words; and he was truly a bundle of raw nerves by the time he sensed Ellen behind him.

_"..the fate of these precious children is quite suspect."_ Danny felt sick to his own stomach at the dire promise which attested to Curtis's terrible penchant for child trafficking and his emotions began to churn inside him even though the children were safe. The man was dead. Doctor Ramirez had seen to that. But Danny suddenly had an overpowering urge to leave since Steve was telling him the FBI had found the key. He needed to know more for his own sanity, yet he had to speak to Ellen first.

"I think she's sleeping already." Ellen whispered softly as she put tea on for the two of them. Though unsettled by these other major distractions, he had been deciding on what to say to Ellen during the time she'd been in the bedroom.

"Ellen, how long has Becca refused to take care of Finster?" Danny turned from the window with a very pensive look on his face. He already knew the answer. It would date back to whenever Becca first came home with her aunt. It would have worsened gradually day by day without anyone particularly noticing, especially with both her father and uncle facing their own challenges which the only other capable adult had tried to balance.

At first wanting to ask gently and possibly coax her into the concept, Danny couldn't help himself from elaborating and getting to his point more quickly. Before Ellen could adequately respond, Danny found himself spewing everything he had vowed not to just moments earlier.

"She's afraid you know. Not of the house or the rabbit really. More of the place and what happened out there." He knew that Becca was seeing a therapist but that was all Danny was aware. Nothing else was of his right to know and he would never interfere. In fact, what he had said that very moment could be misconstrued as meddling and he stayed somewhat cautious of Ellen's reaction.

"Becca was taken by the hutch and Mike .. well, he was shot right there." Danny's voice faded for a moment and he blinked hard to dispel his own memories. He envisioned Grace hiding at first in the bathroom and then his eyes fell to the cabinets in the kitchen. Steve had told him about the lower cabinets and he still couldn't believe Grace had managed to wedge herself into such a tiny space. With a knife.

Danny had to pause to swipe an imaginary itch away from his temple. He lost his train of thought suddenly because he had spoken to Grace and she seemed fine but now … now, he had his own growing list of doubts. Fighting to get back on topic, Danny finally managed to voice his original conclusion. "So, what I'm trying to say is that Becca is scared."

Ellen hadn't seen the immediate aftermath of the scene. HPD and the CSU had processed it completely while she had remained at the hospital for hours. It had been almost two full days and possibly longer before she returned home. And by then, that same rain storm had washed away any residual gore or evidence. Ellen knew but in reality, she simply didn't _know_.

"It's scary for her, Ellen. It's not Finster .. it's not laziness." Danny couldn't stop talking though Ellen's eyes were welling with tears. "It's too fresh in her mind."

"Oh." The observations clearly startled her and she vacillated between defending her niece and wondering how or why she hadn't seen the signs herself. With a thump, Ellen sat down on the closest chair and covered her mouth with one hand.

"Oh. God. Oh." The sounds were breathed out in wonder and a great deal of sadness. She sat there fairly stunned until Danny moved into her line of sight and took her other hand. "I am so stupid. Danny, what have I done?"

"She's going to be fine. Really. But it's not Finster and she's not sick; she also doesn't have a stomach ache from eating too much candy." He sniffed at her last comment and shook his head to negate it. "Becca is exceptionally independent and self-sufficient. She is very good at hiding her feelings or making up unique excuses where she may even fool herself, sometimes."

Danny frowned as he tapped the table to get Ellen's attention. "And by the way, no. No, you are not stupid."

"How can you say that?" Ellen was in tears as she thought about her severe tone and practically forcing the child to do something when she was frightened. "I was so mean to her just now, and she's scared. How could I do that to her?"

"You didn't do anything wrong." Danny squeezed her hand again to get her attention and then he raised one finger warningly in her face. "I don't know much .. but I do know some things and you do, too. You know this, Ellen, from serving in the Army and being around trauma."

"I haven't been careful enough. I should have realized it wasn't that damn rabbit. She loves Finster." Ellen was listening, but only barely after getting caught up in how she had just reprimanded her niece for a water bottle. "I am so, so stupid!"

Danny almost throttled her hand and Ellen winced as he demanded her full attention. "Do not treat her so much differently that you compound this; you have to remain as normal as possible and bend where she needs it. Caring for her bunny is normal, Ellen. It's okay!"

A sudden noise startled them both, making Danny lurch to his feet. Eyes wide and on the defensive, he went for his non-existent sidearm and came face to face with Mike whose hands were raised in mock surrender. The taller man's expression was a mix of ironic sarcasm and a deep concern for them both since his fingers were vibrating just ever so slightly before he rubbed his palms on his jeans.

"You, too?" Mike stated dryly as Danny shakily ran his one good hand over his face and through his hair, leaving it mussed and out-of-place. Then he gripped Mike's shoulder once with his right hand to apologize. In reality, it was to regain some of his own equilibrium against the soreness he had sparked in his side and to give his thudding heart time to resume its rightful place in his chest.

Frowning at the barely hidden grimace, Mike bent his head quizzically in Danny's direction. "You okay?"

"Yup. On both counts." Danny quipped back with a rueful grin and another solid pat against Mike's chest to add some value to his words. Everyone was jumpy and on edge it seemed, and Danny didn't miss the somewhat distracted look on his friend's face.

"We didn't hear you come in. We were talking about Becca .. she doesn't feel well but it's more than that." Danny explained.

"I know." Mike indicated that he already understood because he had also heard enough of their conversation. It was no stretch to know that something had happened with his daughter. "I know and I just spoke to Doctor Naihe, too. Where is she? In her room?" Wiping tears off her cheeks, Ellen nodded as Mike left them to gently pursue Doctor Naihe's instinctive suggestions.

"I should go. We can do lunch another time." Danny whispered as he retrieved his car keys and squeezed Ellen's fingers. Inside, he was anxious to be on his way. He was desperate to know about the key and Mike's arrival provided him with the ideal reason. "Let me know if I can help."

Tearfully, Ellen nodded again before getting up to give Danny a hug. "You just did and I guess Mike knows something more now, too." Ellen still couldn't help feeling that what had happened was her fault though even as Danny disputed it quietly one more time.

"I'm serious. Don't dwell because it serves no purpose and it helps no one. Plus, you can't do it all, Ellen." Danny smiled encouragingly to her as left the house. Walking quickly to his car, he was already speed-dialing Steve who he hoped was home.

Continuing to feel guilty, Ellen lingered in the doorway knowing that he was right, but also wondering where her husband had disappeared to hours now after leaving for the supermarket.

_**~ to be continued~**_


	19. Chapter 19

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **this went WAY astray - I promise only a couple of chapters left. Though the scent of a sequel is in the air!

Steve's Vietnamese pork sandwich recipe. *4 boneless broiled pork chops, *Mayo to taste, *1 ounce chili sauce with garlic, *1/4 fresh lime juice, *1 small red onion cut into rings, *1 sliced cucumber, *1 finely shredded carrot, *2TBS chopped cilantro, *salt/pepper to taste.

1. Marinade shredded carrot, sliced cucumber and onion rings in rice vinegar plus 1 tsp of sugar. (marinade as the chops are browning)

2. Brown chops; slice thinly.

3. Spread chili sauce directly on the meat. Sprinkle with a little lime juice and top with slices of onion, cucumber, cilantro, salt and pepper. Finish with another quick drizzle of lime juice. Eat on bread of choice! (usually a crusty bread; but Hawaiian Sweet Bread I hear is excellent too. Recipe is good with grilled chicken)

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 19**

Steve had hold of both of Danny's shoulders as soon as he saw the look on his face. At first worried about the beads of sweat and pallor, the stricken and haunted eyes which caused him to fly into action. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine. I just had a bit of a moment and it caught me off guard." Danny laughed, or at least he tried to around a roughness in his throat. "I'm sure you've had them too. But maybe it's something they teach you in SEAL-school to ignore by using that steely Navy SEAL death glare of yours."

"Funny, Danno." Worried and confused by the odd references, Steve's concern grew as Danny stumbled over the doorstep when he allowed himself to be much too easily guided towards the sofa. He left him there then, sitting on the edge of the middle cushion with his head bowed almost between his knees. The ache from his healing rib and stitches prevented a more beneficial angle, though this was already working well enough to help him combat the dizziness and nausea.

"Did you eat today?" His weakened posture was telling and even though Steve knew he'd been at the Ramirez home, he wanted to be certain as Danny yanked his medication from a pocket and then grimaced when the answer was strangely _no_. Ponch had been sent out for the food-stuffs and Danny hadn't even realized that the big doctor hadn't quite returned before he left. Before he and Becca had similar episodes and long before Mike had even come home.

"No, we sort of .. forgot .. I guess." The excuse was weak at best and very muffled as Danny virtually spoke into the floor.

"Well, why not! How could you all forget?" Snatching the pill bottle away, Steve stormed into his own kitchen only to return with a glass of water but no medication.

"Seriously. I haven't had this happen since I was rookie." Idly tossing his car keys to the coffee table, Danny complained into the water glass as his splinted left hand lay across his lap. As he spoke he stared at the splint until it wavered and then blended into a white and metal haze. He zoned out until he had Steve virtually in his face and shoving a hastily made sandwich under his nose.

"What are you talking about? What hasn't happened?" Confused, Steve stood over him with his hands on hips.

"What is this?" Danny was leery as he eyed the sprouted wheat bread with bits of greenery sticking out the sides. "Cucumber? Why is the bread alive?"

"Beggars can't be choosers and obviously you need your meds. Eat it." Steve demanded as he sat next to him on the sofa. "What the hell happened and how did you manage to drive like this?"

"You have a steely death glare." Danny dutifully took a bite, chewed and swallowed followed by a strange and approving glance once towards Steve. "Me? I have Jersey fortitude."

The too bland description and yet not enough information only made things worse as Steve angrily watched Danny use his left forearm to rid his face of sweat. Both of his hands were still trembling and he was only now regaining more normal color. "This is not funny. You could easily have a relapse."

"You just negated yourself, partner. Is it funny or not?" Unappreciative of the bad joke, Steve's ire rose and he had to bite his tongue. Anger turned to disgust though, and then a calm as Steve watched Danny demolish half the sandwich and then scoop up the remainder. He was using the splinted index finger of his injured hand to keep it from opening up and spilling its tasty contents to the plate. All conversation had completely stalled as Danny focused on the food.

"You want another?" Amazed by the disappearing act, Steve didn't wait for a reply as he made two more sandwiches to join Danny in the impromptu lunch.

"What is this?" Danny mumbled as he started on his seconds with gusto.

"Leftover Vietnamese pork on sprouted wheat." He laughed as Danny's eyes bugged out and he swallowed hard, but now possibly in awe of Steve's cooking talent.

"You made this?" Danny opened the top half of the sandwich and poked through the cucumber to pull out a finely sliced piece of roasted pork that had bits of greenery and an enticing spicy dressing. Without a second thought, he popped it into his mouth happily. "It's delicious."

"Trust me, it's also very easy." Steve replied, though he was quite pleased with the compliments.

"It doesn't look or taste easy. Ergo, it is not easy." Danny insisted as he pushed the bread back together and finished every crumb from his plate. "I resent this particular secret, Steven. Though I can see how it might seriously threaten national security."

The grin continued and Steve was impressed when Danny decided he didn't need the medication. Feeling tired but undeniably better than when he had first arrived, Danny pushed the pill bottle away when Steve handed it to him. "Now. Tell me about the key."

"Uh, no. Absolutely not." Aiming the glare directly at Danny for trying to so blithely change the subject, Steve shook his head while piling the finished lunch plates on top of each other and leaving them balanced in the middle of the coffee table.

"You first, pal. What happened to you? What got you so messed up?"

"The morning hasn't been the greatest." The aggrieved sigh was on the heels of Danny flopping backwards into the couch. "I had a tiny issue at the house. Just a bad moment when I saw Mike just when he got shot .. _just laying there_ .. but then Becca had one, too."

Taking his time, Danny described the last few hours in minute detail to Steve. He told him everything about himself, Rebecca becoming physically ill, and then his startled reaction to Mike arriving home.

"Ellen's blaming herself about Becca, but Mike will set her straight. I'm at least sure of that." But then and because of all those things combined, Danny tapped Steve's knee worriedly.

"I need to see Grace. Today. I need to make sure she's okay."

"Alright, Danny. That makes perfect sense and you should." Steve muttered softly. "I agree with you and can come along if you want ... even if I just drive you over to Rachel's because actually, I'm taking your keys as of now."

Swiping the keys from the coffee table, Steve finalized the decision on the fly as he neatly pocketed the set before Danny could react. Though he looked better than when he had first arrived, he was still emotionally exhausted which had done an excellent job of also sabotaging his physical energy. Steve meant it as he prepared to dig in hard since he fully expected Danny to argue.

"You're right." Steve was pleasantly surprised when Danny suddenly agreed and his next words were laced with his thanks. "She called you, Steve. Grace called _you_ and you took care of her first. You were there when neither her mother nor I could be .. so yes, you should be included in this. We both need you .. it would help us both ... if you could be there."

Almost rendered speechless, Steve had to force his mouth to work. "Okay, sure. I'd be happy to, Danno."

Slumping back more into the sofa, Danny flung his arm over his eyes. Frank Curtis had done a number on him this time and the mobster had truly come too close to winning. "He was a sick, sick man. So _sick_ and he would have really sold that little girl as if she were absolutely nothing. Mike would never have seen her again."

He barely heard the next mumbled words, but Steve himself easily recalled Danny's first desperate questions about Grace's true whereabouts. "He told me that he had her there and I believed him. He swore that he did and that I'd never see her or Becca ever again. I totally believed him, Steve."

Steve remained quiet as Danny closed his eyes and continued to talk while sharing his real and more helpless fears. "How many has he already done this to? How many are out there and lost to their families? What if no one is looking for them? What if no one cares?"

Brooding, Steve painfully ground his jaw as his gaze dropped to study his hands. He had the answer because Jim Marcus had the key and they'd found the safe deposit box after searching six different banks in Las Vegas. The FBI had reviewed the three recorded DVD's in living color and had counted fourteen children. Fourteen little girls actually and work was in progress to put names to the frightened faces.

He didn't want to tell Danny. He wasn't sure if he should before his friend had arrived and now, Danny's tenuous emotional condition made it all the worse. But he owed him the answer and in reality, Steve would never withhold the findings. He certainly wanted to, but he couldn't.

"Fourteen." Without looking up, he simply said the count and waited for Danny to mentally catch up. "Fourteen that the FBI is now aware of. Fourteen that may have a chance of at least being found." Steve winced because being 'found' only started the true battle; being 'found' didn't solve anything. Not really. But it would be a beginning.

Danny had his arm rocked over his face as he lay sprawled against the back of the sofa. That same am fell limply to his side as he stared in askance and utter disbelief. Drained of energy once more, his voice was barely audible. "That's impossible."

But Steve was shaking his head because obviously it wasn't as it had already occurred. "Not all the videos are date or time-stamped, so the FBI doesn't know really how old some of them are. But Marcus is the best, and he vows to find each and every one of these kids."

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

It was out of the question to wander discreetly into the clinic. Doctor Ramirez was simply too large to wander and hardly ever discreet; he was also very intrigued by the prospect as he absorbed the people and environment.

The clinic had once been a large house and it was more remote than he had been made aware of, too. Besides himself, his large SUV stood out like a sore thumb amongst shabby houses, pot-holed dirt roads and .. loose chickens. The jungle was close and he was nowhere near even the sounds of the ocean by the time he parked and stood staring at the clinic's wide white steps, partially enclosed verandah, and screened front door.

Why he thought that he might succeed in trying to take a quick peek inside the long one-story building, was a complete mystery as a small Asian woman instantly latched onto his arm.

"You are doctor?" She demanded to know in broken English. A small child hung onto her pretty floral dress and the woman was most obviously quite pregnant.

"Uh, yes. Has someone helped you yet?" Although covering it well, she was obviously distressed as sweat dotted her forehead making her hair stick to her pinked cheeks.

But he knew the answer as he took note of the sheer volume of people milling about the waiting room. _Room_ would be a kind word, for it was hardly more than a large open space with limited seating and a glass-fronted reception area which attempted to barricade whomever was on the other side from the common masses. The entire front half of the old house had been gutted to make the room which was now covered in broken, yellowed tile.

No one was helping anyone based on his first assessment.

"You help now?" She gestured to herself and almost horrified, he saw that her water had already broken, though she was hardly concerned. "My second." She smiled happily while trying to show off her first born.

"This is Malaya." The five year old shyly smiled to show off the center gap caused by two missing top teeth, before sticking her thumb back in her mouth. Unperturbed about anything going on around her, Malaya doggedly hung onto her mother's dress hem.

"I am Li. Please help? I can not find Doctor Jassz." A ripple of pain crossed Li's face and Ponch's mouth dropped open as she nearly fell to her knees. He steadied her as she determinedly held her stomach and trusted that he at least, might do something.

"Please help. Yes? Now?"

"Yes!" With a barely silenced oath, Ponch simply picked the petite woman up in his arms before a strong contraction sent her totally to her knees. Embarrassed, she gasped and then clung to his neck Then he glanced down surprised to find Malaya simply tagging along without question.

"Excuse me." Ponch's first shout through to the reception desk barely caused a response. The two nurses or aides or assistants never looked up to his loud voice and he stood there stunned for a moment. "This woman needs help …Hey!"

He waited a split second before deciding that he sounded ridiculous as Li cringed painfully in his arms. "Well, Li, let's go right in shall we?"

The Asian woman smiled bravely and nodded as he began walking. Guessing on the right direction, he ducked around people and then through what appeared to be the main door towards the hallway of mis-matched examination rooms. Another sea of people greeted him on the other side of the swinging doors and it was only slightly more organized than the chaos in the waiting room. With Li in his arms and Malaya following, he was instantly stopped by a young harried doctor.

"Who are you? You're not allowed back here." His name tag said _Parker_ and Ramirez immediately bristled since the man was obviously both rude and quite blind to his now whimpering burden. "Get out. Now. You'll have to wait until called."

"Are you insane? This woman is literally about to have a child! Is there a Doctor Jazz or Jazsh around here? If not, I need a room and supplies." Ponch growled as he brushed past the younger man. There was no way he would trust the incompetent fool that seemed to be masquerading as a physician. A strong tug on his arm pulled him roughly around and Ponch almost lost Li, who squeaked in alarm. The same fingers were surprisingly strong as they dug deeply into his bicep to bring him almost off-balance.

"I told you that you can't be back here." Behind him, Ramirez felt at least three others close in around them. "Put her down and leave before you invite even more trouble on yourself!"

"You know what? I suggest you back off and do it now." Ramirez promised in a low, threatening voice.

"Uh, Alan." Another young voice perhaps slightly more reasonable sounded and Parker's hand dropped from Ramirez's elbow. There was a bit of awe and respect in the tone as he offered Doctor Parker a few simple words of advice.

"This is _him_ and you're making a big mistake right now." Agreeing with Doctor Ramirez, the newcomer rounded on Parker angrily. "A huge mistake. So yeah .. back off."

"Really?" Parker's cold eyes narrowed as he measured the big man towering so formidably over his own lanky frame. "You're Ramirez? Our very own resident jailbird?"

"Excuse me?' Petite Li hunkered down to Ponch's chest almost in fear as her stalwart rescuer seemed to grow in size and an obvious anger. Next to him, Malaya even felt the change and she pulled her thumb from her mouth to now hang onto Doctor Ramirez's pants leg. Large innocent eyes stared up at him in wonder as she considered bursting into tears.

"Alan! What's wrong with you!" The man who had spoken just moments before hissed in shock as he rounded on his peer. He had a hand instantly on Parker's chest to forcibly back the man up into the corridor's dirty wall. Turning to Ponch, he was clearly embarrassed as he faced the angry ex-TAMC surgeon who still held Li and whose contractions were increasing in frequency. It was also obvious to Ponch that these two men had their own issues based on the overtly antagonistic behavior.

"First, let's take care of this young woman. Room four is open." Nodding towards it and swooping Malaya into his arms, the doctor rudely pushed Parker one more time into the wall for good measure. The ill-mannered doctor grimaced as the back of his head physically connected with the plaster.

"Li has been here since learning she was pregnant. I know her and this little lady very well." Forcing his anger down, Ponch relaxed as his newfound supporter defused the volatile situation. With a look that warned Parker of trouble yet to come, the unnamed doctor soothed Malaya with a lolly-pop while ushering Ramirez forward.

"Then we can start over while you explain why you are here so early .. we expected to welcome you this coming Monday."

Grunting his thanks and moving quickly towards the room indicated, Ramirez cradled Li as she stiffened in pain and gripped his arm. As soon as the door closed to the examination room, he gently placed Li on the table and began his search for medical supplies. He was quickly learning not to be surprised that Examination Room Four had once been the home's spare guestroom. Though aged, at least it had been outfitted somewhat properly with plumbing, counters and sinks. However, he was clueless about where to locate what he wanted and needed to care for the young woman.

"Gloves? Sheets, towels? Epidural? Where are your intravenous fluids?" Ramirez was forced to wait as the man he was now with looked at him with some amusement. He had put Malaya on a plastic chair in the corner after magically presenting her with yet another lolly-pop to keep her entertained. She smiled her charming toothless grin as she patted her pocket to save it for later.

"We operate using a frugal business model." Ensuring Li was as comfortable as she was going to get, he stuck his hand out for a formal introduction.

"Doctor Jasper Mitchell, orthopedics. Call me Jazz; even the patients do. But I'm sure you know we all pitch in and do whatever is needed. Unless of course, you're Doctor Alan Parker."

"Obviously, you know who I am." Ramirez drawled sarcastically as he warily eyed the bare basics of implements that Jasper had assembled on a raised tray. Only his friends called him _Ponch_ and he certainly was put off enough to not invite such familiarity by his first experiences at the overwhelmed and poorly managed free clinic. His early opinion had only worsened since walking through the front door. At that moment, only Doctor Jasper Mitchell was keeping his mood in check.

"Please run this I.V. and tell me why you are here .. so early?" Mitchell requested as he located the required items in an obscure cabinet. Astonished at the lack of a nurse, let alone an obstetrician, Ramirez hid his growing concern as he quite competently did as asked.

"I thought I'd swing by.. introduce myself." Ramirez admitted wryly while watching Jasper expertly evaluate Li and her baby regardless of having limited supplies.

"It's fine. Though you would have saved yourself the pleasure of Parker at least for another day or two." Barely listening, Jazz was focused on Li who was firmly gripping his hand but he was well aware of the big doctor's harsh judgment of both staff and dismal state of the clinic, of which he didn't blame or begrudge him. Parker was a problem for all of them and one that the clinic didn't need, but they had no way of getting rid of the obnoxious, lazy and sub-par doctor. It was too much to explain and frankly, he didn't have to because Ramirez would learn about it all soon enough.

"Doctor Jassz." Li panted worriedly through a strong contraction. "Is now early?" But he was smiling to both Li and Ramirez with confidence as he readied for the birth of Li's second child.

"No, Li. The baby is fine and so are you." Ramirez was thrilled to get to work helping Jazz deliver the child. Even more happy when the healthy baby boy was placed safely on his excited mother's chest and Malaya giggled at being able to see her brother squall and squeak with his bright-red newborn face. With the state of the clinic and lack of suitable supplies, Ramirez was relieved beyond words for Li to have such a text-book birth.

There were no nurses though and he was stunned to be managing the entire event from start to finish nearly companionably with Jasper Mitchell. "Ortho?" Ramirez muttered to Jasper's amused shrug and apparent nonchalance about having delivered the healthy baby boy.

"I've lost count." Jasper smiled as he further explained some of the comings and goings at the clinic. "We have an O.B. that comes in once or twice a month. She's great but as a volunteer, she can do only so much for us around her regular practice. So, by design those of us working here full-time, have to do it all - whatever that might be."

Settling mother and child in a small recovery area which Ponch was thoroughly amused to identify as an old walk-in pantry, Li was already making moves to depart and Jazz was having difficulty having her understand that he wanted her to rest at least two extra hours while nursing.

"Husband happy. Nice boy." Li whispered excitedly. "Thank you for Adan. Doctor Jassz. Doctor .. who?" She questioned Ponch and he introduced himself awkwardly as _Ramirez_ to Li's beaming thankful smile.

"Keep him." She advised Mitchell very seriously as she put his hand on top of Ramirez's much larger one. "Good doctor. Good man, like you. Get rid of other one. Lazy .. no care."

And there it was. Jasper didn't have to say anything since one of his sweet patient's had no issue voicing her own opinion. "Thank you, Li." He said loudly and with an unhidden level of exasperation at her bluntness.

Completely embarrassed and snatching his hand away, Jasper sighed dramatically while Li almost too smartly looked from Ramirez back to him. Ramirez had to chuckle at the astute woman's sparkling eyes. She was peacefully nursing Adan and Malaya was now contentedly coloring in a large blank notebook on the edge of the small bed. Jasper knew that Li in particular did not like Parker; not many of the regulars did. However, Li was most vocal about not trusting the unfriendly doctor. It was a compliment that she whole-heartedly approved of their newest staff addition regardless of how he had gotten there and if he was permanent, temporary or merely volunteering like the dull Alan Parker.

"Wait one moment." Ramirez caught on quickly that Li would leave as soon as she was done with the first nursing of her newborn. "That's it? She's just going to leave? How did she get here?"

"She most likely walked since her husband works on a coffee plantation." Jazz lay his hand on the doctor's arm and shook his head because this was it; this was what they were all about unless the patient were in dire need. Li herself expected to leave as quickly as her son had arrived. If he got her to stay one hour, he considered himself lucky.

"We call an ambulance like Joe Public if we need transport for critical care." Ramirez rocked on his toes in shock at that startling bit of information. Then nearly gawked as Jazz continued explaining their very public, very poor demographic.

"But even then, our typical patient might refuse to go or the hospital may decline treatment without insurance. Sometimes, the ambulance doesn't even come so one of us will drive our patient to the closest hospital."

Ramirez had to remember to slam his mouth shut. What he was being told he might expect from a third world, remote populace. Certainly not so near his own backyard and he was astonished, shocked and angry all at once. "This is ludicrous."

"Welcome aboard, Doc. This is a real, live community hospital. We see everyone from dock workers, to migrant workers and farmers, to some very needy indigents." Jazz grinned at the big man's reaction, now unable to hide his excitement at having the esteemed doctor at the clinic.

"We are far from perfect and are strapped for a multitude of proper medical supplies, but please don't judge us - _the people who truly work here_ - entirely by Parker. He can barely dispense an aspirin properly."

Ponch went to automatically shove his hands deeply into his lab coat pockets, forgetting that he wasn't wearing his usual attire that very moment. He didn't know what this Parker's personal issue was, but he certainly didn't even care to ask. His probationary tenure was going to be an interesting challenge and he could hear Mary-Pat's shrill voice ringing loudly in his ears. He was puzzled by the odd reception and mortified by the clinic itself; he wondered if the judge had planted him now on purpose not to teach him a lesson, but to clean up the clinic's woeful existence.

"Doctor Mitchell, it's been most … interesting." Determined to establish a line and maintain his distance, Ramirez remained formal with his new co-worker as he gently tweaked Malaya's nose and she giggled again.

"Li, congratulations on the birth of this fine baby boy. Stay and rest!" He admonished to back up Doctor Mitchell's demands. Once more, the Asian woman sparkled with pride, even briefly bowing her head in thanks. With one final glance around the dismal rear examination area, Ponch firmly set his jaw against what he truly wished to say.

"Doctor Mitchell .. Jazz. I will be seeing you on Monday, bright and early."

Up to the challenge and not put off by the older man's somewhat abrasive demeanor, Jasper smiled and folded his arms as Ramirez left the property. He glowered though as Alan Parker appeared as if by design once the ex-TAMC chief surgeon had disappeared.

"Don't you have papers to shuffle?" Jasper refused to back down from Parker's attempts of intimidation. The simple truth was that Alan needed him ... badly. The clinic only kept its head above water due to Jasper's presence. Patients,, employees and volunteers only came or stayed because of him and his tough dedication. Jasper only cared about the local people who so desperately needed the clinic's services. He could care less that Parker's father had founded the community's free clinic some, twenty-five years earlier.

Alan Parker was nothing like his renowned father whose small corporation still managed and maintained it quite poorly and with little help from its unmotivated figure-head of a president. Moving away from Li after sensing her nervousness, he knew that Alan would follow in his wake ...which he did.

"He's a criminal." Parker retorted as he trailed behind his more competent peer.

Unable to stop grinning, Jasper Mitchell shrugged at Parker's continued disapproval. "And it's a crime that you dare to call yourself a physician."

Borrowing a huge dose of Li's outspoken honesty, Jazz happily sauntered away. Other than the universally disliked owner, no one objected to the fine surgeon gracing their shabby doorstep. In fact, the opinion was that their humble clinic finally had been blessed.

_**~ to be continued ~**_

_**Added note - I found this fascinating (but I'm weird anyway!): **While both free and community clinics provide many similar services, free clinics today are defined by the US National Association of Free Clinics as "safety-net health care organizations that utilize a volunteer/staff model to provide a range of medical, dental, pharmacy, vision and/or behavioral health services to economically disadvantaged individuals. Such clinics are 501(c)3 tax-exempt organizations, or operate as a program component or affiliate of a 501(c)(3) organization."[2] Some free clinics rival local government health departments in size and scope of service with multi-million dollar budgets, specialized clinics and numerous locations._

_Each free clinic was unique in its development and services, based on the particular needs and resources of the local community. There is a saying among free clinic organizations that, if you have been to one free clinic, you have been to all free clinics. The common denominator is that care is made possible through the service of volunteers, the donation of goods and community support. Funding is generally donated on the local level and there is little —if any— government funding. Some free clinics were established to provide medical services in the inner cities while others opened in the suburbs and many student-run free clinics have emerged that serve the under-served as well as provide a medical training site for students in the health professions._


	20. Chapter 20

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 20**

Amongst a deep pile of pillows and her pink comforter cover, Grace was laying on her stomach paging through a book without really reading it. Her cell phone was off to her left, just within a few centimeters of her fingers should Becca happen to call or text her back. But it had been hours and in fact, Rachel, she and Stan had eaten a somewhat early dinner themselves because Stan had to run to work at the last-minute. Even though it was a Saturday and most people didn't have to, Stan sometimes had things to follow-up on like a property issue or even manage a spontaneous negotiation.

That night, it was some sort of negotiation related to a potential investor who had a multitude of questions for her step-father and, since it meant a lot of money, Stan had to beg off even desert after managing a quick bite to eat.

Then Grace had declined dessert too. Escaping back to her bedroom, she was content enough to lay quietly by herself with one half of her brain looking at the occasional picture in her book, while the other half dwelled on silent gunshots, black-clad bad men and dark hiding places.

"I don't want any!" Not at all rudely, Grace shouted over her shoulder when she heard a porcelain sounding clink in the hallway. It was the telltale sign of her mother bringing up a piece of chocolate cake and likely a glass of milk, even though Grace had refused it at the table.

With a forced grin that still held some sadness because she was being distracted from her somewhat morose thoughts, Grace squirmed around as the door handle turned and clicked open. "Mom. Thanks, but I don't want any ...oh!"

"Uncle Steve!" Steve unexpectedly stood in her doorway balancing two plates, one glass of milk and smiling broadly around a fork that was sticking out of his mouth. The second fork was stick on-end out of one of the pieces of cake.

"Nuh Cke? Grshh? Yeh shurrre?" He laughed around the fork and then at her completely stunned expression not only because she was shocked to see him, but also because she totally understood every garbled word. Bursting into laughter, Grace rolled off the bed to rescue one plate and the glass of milk.

She was laughing so hard, the milk tipped and wound up spilling anyway to run down her elbow as she put it on her desk, leaving a circle of white under it. "Uncle Steve! Why are you here? Where's Danno?"

Removing the fork from his mouth and swallowing hard, Steve couldn't help joining in. He was relieved to find her reading and then be so happy to see him. "He's downstairs talking to your mom."

Acting as if it were a conspiracy, he whispered loudly while posing with a piece of cake on his fork. He studied it intently before popping it in his mouth. "We wanted to steal you away for a walk on the beach and maybe some shave ice. But now, I'm not sure. Between me and you ... Danno is really tired anyway."

Looking quizzically at the rest of his slice, Steve then sighed happily. "You know .. this ... _this_ particular chocolate cake is so good, we don't have to go anywhere. Plus you said you didn't want desert and honestly, I don't know if you mom will even agree."

Dead pan, Steve frowned as if he was now the bearer of bad news. "So, I guess this is it. Never mind."

"No. No, we do. We definitely have to go out!" Grace exclaimed. "Mom will say yes!"

In the car ride over, Danny had asked for time with Rachel and Steve stalled now as he purposefully sat on the edge of the bed. Danny wanted to do two major things. One was interrogate Rachel as to Grace's general mood and if she'd been upset, acting strangely, or had bad dreams. The second purpose was in fact the aforementioned walk with a night-cap of ice cream or shave ice to make sure that his daughter was indeed totally fine.

"Is it good?" Pointing to the open book by her pillows, Steve was truly interested. "What are you reading?"

"I don't know .. I'm not really reading it." She admitted. "I was talking to Becca and she was upset. I was waiting for her to call back .. or text."

"Oh. What is she upset about?" It was an innocent enough question. But knowing through Danny what had occurred at the Ramirez house earlier that day, Steve was watching Grace closely enough. The tiny shrug and frown were nearer to the truth than the answer.

"I'm not sure. She's just .. upset."

Pushing gently, Steve made a so-so face about that being the case. "Well, you know that your father was visiting there earlier and he said that Becca was upset about Finster. She didn't feel like feeding him or cleaning the hutch."

"No, that's not right." It was a bit off-base on purpose and he got what he wanted nearly immediately. "It's not about her rabbit. It's not about Finster at all." Grace retorted suddenly. Taking a deep breath and sighing almost angrily, she stared at Steve defensively. "I know it's supposed to be a secret and I know Danno is helping Aunt Ellen. But we don't want to go to the party."

"The party? Why wouldn't either of you want to go to Ponch's party?" The surprise party had become the worst kept secret on the island and Steve had to smile. Ignoring the use of '_we_', he coached her along as she went from looking directly at him to something much more interesting amongst the fabric of her comforter cover which was piled messily on the bed. All he got though was another shrug and a deeper unhappy look.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" The bluntness of his question made her eyes fly worriedly back to his face.

"No." Her automatic reply, was just that as Grace switched gears to quietly whisper the opposite. "Yes. Maybe."

She still wasn't looking at him and seemed more embarrassed than upset as she blurted out the truth. "Yes, I guess. We don't like the house or really the yard; where it happened."

Grace stressed the word '_it_' and it was safer to hide behind the "_we_". Steve grinned softly about Grace's continued use of the word. "We .. well .. we think it's scary. Becca and I think it's scary. But Becca is afraid to go near the hutch. She wants to but it's scary because it all happened .. right .. there."

The tears were going to come based on how quiet her voice now was, and he lost his grin. Danny was right and other things were bothering Grace just as they were bothering Rebecca. He glanced towards the partly open door, almost wishing Danny would show up. But then, Steve was nervous that Grace would stop talking if he did.

"They took Danno, Uncle Steve." Keeping her eyes averted to the bed, Grace's chin began to tremble and at first, he barely heard her. She had spoken in depth with her father; Steve knew that for a fact. But their discussion had been more about the bad events being over and done with. How he was healing from his injuries, how Mike would be okay, and of course, how very proud he had been .. how proud everyone was .. of Grace doing the right thing by hiding and making two critical phone calls. Danny had tried to get more out of her, but Grace hadn't shared anything else and things had seemed fine. Maybe it was only because some things just needed time to bubble up to the surface.

"I saw them take Danno and Uncle Mike was already laying in the grass. There were too many for Daddy to fight .. and he lost." While it was true that she hadn't seen as much as Becca, what she did see still preyed on her and maybe .. Steve now thought .. those things weren't what she could talk about to his partner. Danno never lost in Grace's eyes but then that day, he had been sorely outnumbered and unprepared.

"I know." Steve whispered back. "I know how scary it was for you to see those men and not know what they wanted. It had to be horrible for them to just take Danno like that and I'm very sorry you had to see that Grace."

"They took him and I was scared." Scooting closer to him on the bed, Grace at first only leaned into Steve's side. "I didn't know what to do."

He smiled at that after tilting her chin up. "What do you mean that you didn't know what to do? That, I don't believe because you did the right things from the very start!"

"I'm still scared." Refusing to smile, the tears filled her eyes enough for Steve to wrap his arms around her where she sat next to him on the bed. "Danno is back and I'm still scared."

He wouldn't tell her silly things like the memories would fade and it was just a house, after all. Adult words were meaningless and had no place as she tried to wrap her head around residual feelings which had to do only with her father. He huffed a knowing sound. Grace was a mirror image of her Danno when it came to worrying about other people and second guessing themselves.

"All of that is normal stuff, Grace. It's okay to be scared because you love Danno so very much and you are Becca's good friend."

"You and Danno are never scared." It was whispered into his chest and Steve huffed an honestly surprised sound that made her look up at him.

"That's not quite true, Grace!" Steve shared with a great deal of intensity. "That's really not true at all. Anyone who's not a little bit afraid, is a heck of a lot stupid."

Grace's grinned through a few tears even though Steve was very serious. "You were scared but still hid and made those phone calls. And Becca was scared and she managed to hide her cell phone so we could track them down. Does that make sense? Plus, we're in law enforcement because we are afraid that bad people will get away with doing bad things. Danno especially wants the entire world to be safer for you."

Grace was listening to each and every word Steve said and she nodded in agreement. However, that dramatic final sentence almost made her giggle and she looked up to see Steve smiling at her. "That's silly. The whole world?"

"Yup. He started with New Jersey and now he's working on Hawaii. He's going to do it State by State and then I think, move to continents." His eyes were laughing now and she had to giggle more which made Steve laugh too.

"So, I'm going to tell you that it's okay for you and Becca to still be a little bit afraid. What happened was wrong. But it's over, you did all the right things, she did all the right things, and nothing bad is going to happen at the house or by these people ever again. Mike and Danno are both okay, too."

"Okay." Grace was still very quiet and Steve could only nod in understanding. She was still working it out in her head and some things were making sense, though she still might have some reservations about the Ramirez house. Steve guessed that the house might continue to make her uncomfortable for a little while longer. Even for that, she surprised him. "I told Becca that I would go to the party for her, and that I'd bring Mrs. Hoppy too."

"That's really nice Grace. You're a good friend and I'm sure Becca appreciates that very much." Steve rubbed circles on her back as she cuddled even more to him. He had an idea germinating as he considered the Ramirez backyard and rabbit hutch. There was a chance that a basic change could do enough to make both girls feel better. He had a few ideas and as he considered each, he frowned to himself as Grace hugged him back.

Neither of them saw Danny standing in the doorway, just listening. It was right that the two of them had time together and he was content that Grace had managed to confide in Steve just a bit more now. Far from worried or from being insulted, it was right and Danny was more relieved that Steve had gotten somewhere with his daughter.

Backing up a bit, Danny made a noise in the hallway before announcing his arrival. "So? What's going on in here? Are we going out for a walk or not?"

Bending down quickly, Steve gave Grace a fast kiss on the side of her cheek. "Danno is really tired, okay? If we go for a walk it won't be too far." Giving her something else to think about, Steve pantomimed a huge yawn and Grace laughed out loud. Partly true, Steve expected the mental stresses of the day to eventually catch up with his still recovering partner as worries piled up and then were put to bed one by one. The last to hit the proverbial pillows would be Danny after he fixed each thing in his universe.

"He missed his nap today and you know how cranky he gets." Steve whispered it quickly as Grace ducked away and then off the bed to hug Danny.

"Danno!" She was brighter, happier and definitely more light on her feet. "Did mommy say we could go? Just for a little while?"

"She sure did, Monkey." Over her head, Danny mouthed his thanks to Steve who grinned back with a very self-satisfied expression. Cake and milk forgotten, he followed them out of the house.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Embracing a large box in front of his chest, Ponch stood in the entryway with a sick look plastered across his face. Arms folded, Ellen was staring him down and he was actually uncertain if he should or even could, continue coming into his own home. Even though he had finally returned her calls which had become increasingly more concerned, arriving home did not soften her greeting. Especially when he admitted to what was piled high in the box.

"You did what?" Ellen nearly sounded as if she'd swallowed shards of glass and was now about to spit out nails. "Your office? You intend to resign?"

"Retire, actually. Not resign .. retire. There's a bit of a difference." He should have left the box in the SUV or hidden it in the garage because it was the impetus to the conversation. Instead, he'd tugged the one out of the back of his truck because it held his most precious awards and memorabilia and Ellen instantly knew.

"It just happened." Ponch shifted the box which was becoming heavy and yet, Ellen still refused to move to allow him full entry. "I didn't plan this .. I just sort of wound up there out of habit and one thing led to another. Ellen, it honestly seems right .. it's the right time .. for me to do this."

He'd forgotten the supermarket, lunch and their guest whom had left long ago. Not only had he taken an impromptu visit to his office, he'd cleaned it out entirely and then gone to the clinic. She hadn't answered him though and he winced as he felt obligated to fill the air space with more words.

"I .. uh .. delivered a baby this afternoon. It was a boy." Ellen closed her eyes and counted to ten and then twenty. She had enough with Danny and Rebecca, and then only Mike had seemingly saved the day with her niece. Her husband had been gone for hours though and then had come home with the oddest of stories.

"So you're resigning but still had time to deliver a baby? What exactly would you like me to do with that tidbit of information?"

"Retiring. It's a retirement." Ponch insisted on correcting Ellen again and she rubbed her hand across her throat and collar bone, the area was mottled with red and white as if a rash had broken out.

"Where are Mike and Rebecca?" Ellen fairly glared at him through her lashes as she rubbed her skin harder to worsen the rash.

"They went home hours ago." It was almost a deflection but in truth, the house was simply too quiet. The box sagged in his arms at the confusing news since he thought his brother was going to stay the weekend. Ellen's eyes changed to a brooding worry and she seemed to deflate, too. After Becca had a long talk with her father, the three of them had sat quietly together in the bedroom.

As Becca calmed and felt better about things .. _after_ she realized that no one was angry with her at all .. Mike had decided that the two would simply go back to their condo downtown. The decision was right and gave the father and daughter more private time. Ellen wholeheartedly approved and understood, but now Ponch was in the dark. His oddly timed personal news would put a kink in that discussion as Ellen shook her head in frustration. "We need to talk about so many things, Alphonse."

The two were not prone to argue and her instant change in attitude proved it as she pulled the heavy box from his arms. Shoving it into a corner of the dining room, Ellen turned to find Ponch practically in her space. She was suddenly tired of everything herself as he pulled her into a hug and they stood together for a good many minutes in the silence of their home.

"I'm sorry, El. It just happened." Too tired to think about it, Ellen didn't reply or even move. It felt good to simply have him home. Things could still be corrected because he hadn't actually submitted his formal papers. It was Saturday after all. But then again, as the concept sunk in slowly and steadily, Ellen realized that she didn't really mind.

There had been so many changes over the last year maybe this was simply another important step. Sighing into his chest, all Ellen wound up doing was making an odd little noise that was mostly an astonished laugh. As Danny had warned her, she couldn't be all things to all people and she needed to stop trying so very hard. Her husband was home, Becca was with Mike, and things would work out.

"So, Alphonse. I guess you're retiring. But first, tell me about the baby." He felt the sigh and heard what sounded almost like an amused chuckle. They still had many things to discuss and he was far from off the hook, but they would always understand each other.

Ponch smiled into her hair and then lovingly kissed the top of her head. "Ah, dear. It's more this clinic that I need to tell you about."

_**~ to be continued ~**_


	21. Chapter 21

**I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

**Notes: **Happy Thanksgiving everyone! thanks for such a GREAT, fun experience with this story!

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 21**

Steve took the call on Sunday morning; from a continually worried Ellen Ramirez who now couldn't seem to reach Danny. "_His cell phone is going right to voicemail and he was going to come over today to talk about the party some more. But .. so .. well, I thought I'd call you to see if you knew where he was because with so much happening lately ... I'm worried, Steve._"

Ellen was speaking so quickly, Steve had no opportunity to interrupt her. He finally did when she took a breath for a long inhale of air. "He's here and he's fine but still sleeping. Is he late?"

Not knowing what time Danny was supposed to have been at the Ramirez house, Steve checked the time. It was nearing ten in the morning and Danny had been out for the count since having that last minute visit with Grace. He'd been content and pleased as the evening ended with Grace equally more calm. He'd graciously thanked his ex-wife and then come undone again after the too long of a day from start to finish.

He had thanked Steve in the car not once, but numerous times to such a degree where Steve had begun to chuckle self-consciously. It was easy to see that Danny was over-tired and an out-of-place hug proved it as Steve retained his car keys as a last resort to protect Danny from himself. Nearly vibrating with exhaustion, Danny hadn't argued the now very much required dose of medication nor where he was made to lay his head that night. Come late Sunday morning, he still had yet to stir from the depths of the spare bedroom which was exactly what the doctor had prescribed and Steve had no intention of disturbing him.

_"No, my plans are changed and I was calling to tell him not to come over. We're not having a party until we figure a few things out."_ Ellen paused and Steve jumped in apologetically.

"Listen, Ellen. I'm assuming one of those things has to do with Becca and her rabbit. It's none of my business but I'd like to suggest moving the hutch closer to the house so she doesn't have to go as far. Give it a different look and feel if it's not too much trouble." There was a moment of silence on the other side and Steve grimaced to himself thinking he had guessed wrong.

_"That's one of the things we've started to discuss."_ They didn't want to actually move their home or change their living arrangements, but she and Ponch had ended their own evening by talking about Becca's fears. They had agreed to keep the large majority of things quite normal for her, but would make some alterations where they could to ease her mind and help her move on.

_"We talked about moving but it's not what we want. So now, Alphonse wants to completely re-landscape the yard and remove any visual triggers. We got as far as the rabbit and a privacy fence plus we never had a security system ... but I'm not sure what else we could do to make it so that it becomes very different."_

"You could do almost anything." Steve said. He'd really only considered the rabbit and even fencing as the easiest fixes. A few plants or flowers would be pretty but certainly wouldn't do much to disguise and eliminate bad memories. Ellen felt the same way as she started with those basics and then moved on quickly. His mind was busy as he listened to her offer suggestions such as installing an in-ground swimming pool or an elaborate landscaped flower garden with possibly a small fountain. He liked her idea of privacy fencing and said as much before coming up with a compromise on the water theme.

"A koi pond." He blurted it out as it came to mind in vivid color. It would appeal to both adults and the children, plus the fish would be an interesting diversion. Depending upon how much it might cost and its upkeep, a koi pond and small garden would feasibly provide an entirely different environment.

_"I like that idea."_ Ellen's voice was piqued with interest as she took his small idea and immediately doubled its size in her mind. _"It's peaceful by its very intent and being. We could have stone pavers leading to a covered gazebo. Oh! And a small bridge with a fountain or even a waterfall. Becca likes to read and this could be so very pretty with the right design."_

Steve's eyes widened as he listened to Ellen sketch out larger and larger additions to his much smaller concept. "Uh, I meant something a bit smaller actually, Ellen." But she was off and running, so excited that she had Ponch's attention now on the other side of the phone and he could hear the deeper voice inquiring about their conversation.

He was about to interrupt her again, when she virtually hung up the phone on him. _"Thanks, Steve. Let Danny sleep in ... he needs it."_ He was left listening to dead air after the subtle click sounded in his ear.

"Well .. then. Okay." Steve laughed softly as he grabbed his towel and wondered what the good Doctor Ramirez was going to do with this latest grand idea now percolating along at home.

With Danny sleeping and other things beginning to naturally calm and settle, he had the rest of the morning to himself. Making sure there was enough coffee in the pot should his partner waken while he was swimming, Steve dutifully left him a note about Ellen canceling their party planning session. Then he slyly made sure the Camaro was locked and then took Danny's car keys with him yet again. A little more enforced relaxation did a body good and with at least another full week on doctor-mandated recuperation, there was no doubt Danny could benefit from staying off his feet.

But as he tossed the keys idly in his hand, Steve continued chuckling to himself as he left the house through his lanai.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Danny and Grace stood on the Ramirez's front doorstep. Danny had Mrs. Hoppy's crate and they were there for the promised barbecue which had been delayed many weeks. The family had become rather insular for that time, getting back to work, coping with Doc's new schedule, attending therapy sessions, and making changes that oddly only Steve seemed privy to.

Ellen had gently described the changes as being too physical for either Mike or Danny to help with. Both men were forbidden from visiting too, which had been a trial unto itself to explain to Becca. But they had all managed with covert clues and gentle conversations to allay fears and calm worried thoughts. It was time now though and a small family oriented gathering had finally come tougher.

"Ready to see what all this excitement is about? Uncle Steve hasn't breathed a word about this big secret." Danny asked his daughter. Grace was content and smiling now having gotten back on track herself. The time had been a balm to her as well; things were definitely back to normal between her and Becca.

"Yes!" Grace truly was as she raised her hand to knock, but the door was pulled open at the same time. Becca stood on the other side, beaming and laughing about the new something which obviously delighted her no end.

"Hi Uncle Danny! Grace, you have to see this!" Grabbing Grace's hand, Danny was left alone on the doorstep with rabbit in hand as Becca giggled loudly and dragged his daughter away.

"Well. Okay. I'm fine." Danny muttered to himself as he helped himself into the house and closed the door. "Mrs. Hoppy and I know the way and it's not a problem. Nope, not at all. Thank you!"

Meeting him halfway, Ponch was laughing at the not so softly uttered complaints. Insisting on freeing Danny's hands of the bulky crate, Ponch escorted him to the kitchen where Ellen was preparing plates of appetizers.

"And how is Mrs. Hoppy?" Ponch peeked in through the mesh front before putting the crate on the floor.

"Oh, she's fine. Life of Riley." Danny mockingly griped as he gave Ellen a kiss on the cheek. "Becca seems excited. I guess whatever you've done has already been a big hit with the family?"

Ponch was elated as he wrapped his arms around Ellen almost knocking her off-balance. Her hands were full and she nearly dropped the plate she had just picked up. She gasped as it wobbled precipitously giving her short seconds to regain a more firm hold.

"Alphonse! Not now! Go show Danny ... Mike and Steve are outside anyway. Chin and Kono will be here any minute and I need to keep moving." Laughing, she ducked away and then shoved a ready-made platter of appetizers into her husband's hands.

"Get out of my kitchen and put this out for everyone to get started on it."

"Wait until you see this." Ponch's continued excitement made Danny laugh as he followed in the big man's wake. Each guest was bound to get the same treatment and he could already tell that the big doctor would never get tired of repeating himself.

The first thing Danny noticed was that the rabbit's hutch was in view of the sliders and practically directly on the patio itself. But the real improvements were staggering as Ponch graciously waved him through the house and completely outside.

Steve was standing near Mike and gesturing towards the first short breadth of newly planted native flowers. Mike was standing with a bottle of beer on the edge of the patio pavers and merely nodding to whatever Steve was saying.

"What did you do?" Danny was stunned as his feet suddenly refused to move forward.

"Hey, Danno!" He heard Steve but was wholly unable to reply. Pulled forward by Ponch, he stalled next to Steve and just stared. For where an expanse of grass had once opened to a large, hot yard, a winding path of intricately laid pavers enticed him down a walkway bordered by tall native flowering plants. A small dark red bridge crossed over an elaborate kidney-shaped koi pond already full of at least a dozen colorful orange, white and black fish.

At the farthest point of the pond was a shallow two-stepped waterfall. Beyond that, was a pretty gazebo the same dark color of the pretty bridge. Already at the picnic table in its inviting shade, were Becca and Grace who were alternating between looking at the pond and fish, and investigating another portion of the shady, prettily bordered path that came full circle back to the main patio where they were all standing.

The original plain yard was unrecognizable not only to the children but to the adults seeing it for the first time. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Steve, Danny blindly accepted the beer Ponch thrust into his hands.

"I don't .. how .. when did you do this?" Danny stuttered at the extent of the mind-boggling transformation. A glance towards Mike, showed him that his friend's eyes were misty as he too, continually tried to absorb what his brother and sister-in-law had managed to do yet again for his daughter. When he and Becca had arrived, she saw the hutch through the sliders just as Danny had. Her smile had been tentatively relieved but not entirely committed yet to straying outside until both Ellen and Ponch encouraged her forward. Her stunned gasp had confused Mike and he'd followed finally, equally shocked by the beautiful changes beyond the glass interior of the house. From that moment, Becca had nearly skipped down the new paved path to investigate the koi, the waterfall, and the small arched bridge. But she was utterly infatuated with the pleasantly airy gazebo.

Danny opened his mouth once, then twice before settling on simply taking a long drink from his cold bottle of beer. His inability to speak resulted in Steve's chuckle of glee. With distinct pride, Ponch bounced on his toes as he pointed out the plants, ceramic garden statuettes and how the pond was constructed so nicely to fit the space.

"It's spectacular, isn't it? We should have done this years ago." Ponch chuckled as both men nodded in unison, each then taking nearly simultaneous swallows from their bottles.

"Steve suggested moving the hutch. Of course, that made sense but that idea prompted more with the Koi, and Ellen ... well _Ellen_ .. she took it and ran to come up with this beautiful project."

"It really is." Danny finally found his voice. Through the deeply dark-green foliage, he watched the girls playing happily and couldn't recognize anything of the old Ramirez yard. The metamorphosis was simply too grand and yet it completely fit the style of the house and space it was designed to complement.

Steve was nearly as pleased as the big doctor. Grinning down at Danny, he clinked the neck of his bottle into Danny's. "You approve, partner?"

"Yeah." Danny was trying to conjure up his last ill feelings and he simply couldn't do it. The trickle of water drowned out the negative thoughts and the sight of the milling school of fish by the gently raised bridge dispelled old visions.

"Can't do it, can you." It wasn't a question that Steve whispered into his ear. It was a statement of fact and Danny could only shake his head. He couldn't find it and didn't want to. And if he couldn't, then the girls combined laughter also validated that truth for them as well.

"I really can't." Danny breathed out softly much to Steve's distinct satisfaction.

"Becca knew we moved the rabbit hutch. That happened weeks ago when Steve came over to help." Mike was talking now but without taking his eyes off the girls who were now back again under the gazebo. "But .. this .. we had no idea and she loves it so very much."

Positive that this change gave Becca one giant step in the right direction, Mike grinned about what Becca's therapist might recognize during their next session because the re-introduction to her aunt and uncle's home was a startling success. "Doctor Naihe won't know what to say either!"

Thrilled by their reactions, Ponch approached the two fathers from behind and put a warm hand on each of their shoulders and rocked hard into his brother. "This fool thought he might try to help us move that leaden monstrosity you both built for Finster. Neither of you have my approval to lift anything heavier than let's say ... a rabbit. Once the hutch was moved, the landscapers and designers did their magic."

"This .. it's special." Danny didn't know what to say as happy chatter reached them and he noticeably relaxed. Steve grinned happily as he watched any residual stress leave Danny's face and posture. Where Grace had accepted the changes with an astonishing effortless ease, her father took just a bit longer to adapt.

"Becca's great. She's just fantastic." Unable to get past his daughter's happiness, Mike was tearing up again as Becca's easy laughter reached his ears. He stared up at his much older half-brother and wondered for the hundredth time how it was they had become so close. Mike was an illegitimate, secret _accident_ but their mutual father had been at least kind during his upbringing. It had seemed to be enough growing up, but Mike hadn't really known any better so the occasional relationship had mostly worked at the time. However now, Mike resented not having known his half-brother more intimately.

The gap in their ages was great and if not for their father's funeral where they had finally met, the two would never had known of the others existence. It was a thought that always sobered Mike because he couldn't bear to be without his brother or sister-in-law. At the funeral, they had stared at each other blatantly. Mike with a bit of uncertainty and Ponch with a stunned look of amazement. He realized that his gaping, wide-mouthed expression likely once more mimicked that first time meeting. At the time, Ponch had glanced at their father lying in state and had the gall to brazenly salute the elderly deceased man before bursting out in laughter as if their father had provided the largest final joke of all time. Mike had been heartily embraced and his uncertainty had dissolved with warmth and a true brotherly love. Now again, Mike didn't know what to say for a long moment as his brother proudly showed off yet another accomplishment.

"Ponchie. This is so much." The frightening thought raised its head again and Mike paled at the possibility of never having met his brother, for Ponch had truly saved him ... and Rebecca time and again. He was doing it once more by the generous and over-the-top redesign of their home to make life better for his little girl. Before that, he had risked everything and nearly gone to jail for him in order to keep them both safe.

Rubbing one hand over his face, Mike was overwhelmed as he threw the other up in the air. Suspension, retirement and now community service at a lowly island clinic. Yet, the older man never once complained or looked backwards. In fact, he seemed to be having a grand time shaking things up at the small and evidently poorly run Medical Mission Free Clinic.

"Ponchie." Mike scarcely got it out a second time before he was rocked hard into his brother's side by the strong one-armed hug. Where Mike was a worrier and constantly dwelled, Ponch could accept certain things with an unparalleled ease.

"Mikey." Ponch drawled out as another burst of giggles reached them from the ornate gazebo. Steve was smiling and Danny chuckled under his breath as the girls dissolved in laughter over something only the two shared.

After that, they could only hear the softly falling water from the pond's stepped falls and Ponch sighed happily. "Mikey. You think too much. Just enjoy the moment."

_**~ End ~**_


End file.
